Old Warmth of the Sun
by conjure-at-your-own-risk
Summary: REBOOT IN PROGRESS
1. Come Morning Light

**AN: Ta-da! Okay, new project, mainly because the other two are spiralling towards hiatus. It's gong to be a nonlinear series of scenes ranging from 100 to easily over a thousand words. I will also take requests if you ask kindly.**

**Thanks to the lovely words from Holyhead Harpies, I decided to make a mini series for the gender-bended universe. This takes straight to where Dawn is Bright left off. Don't worry; all is canon. **

**Doesn't that make you feel so much better? **

**I mean, really, is a canon gender-bending that hard to understand? It's possible, but rarely done.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Come Morning Light

**Word Count**: 970

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><p><em>I remember tears streaming down your face<em>

_When I said, I'll never let you go_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light_

_I remember you said, don't leave me here alone_

_But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight_

—**Safe and Sound, Taylor Swift.**

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><p>Halley felt something stir against her.<p>

Through the hazy labyrinth of sleep she tried to direct her way out, heavy limbs struggled to move, and stiff muscles protested. One of her hands became tangled in something soft, opening an eye; she was momentarily surprised to see a striking shade of red near her head.

Halley then opened both eyes. _Am I dreaming?_ she thought, half-expecting to wake up in the cold tent in a dark forest. That's it; this was dream. It was some happy dream that her imagination cooked up in a fit of dreary loneliness. What else would have been the better way to relax than to wake up next to Gabriel Weasley?

Except, Halley looked at her shabby robes that were stained with red blood and brown dirt; and then at his sleeping form, her dreams usually involved him awake. She tried to push herself up in a sitting position, but a dull pain in her chest forced her back down.

Nope. Not a dream. She rubbed the spot gingerly, suddenly remembering that was where the Killing Curse struck. Her hand paused; in the dark corners of her mind she could clearly see the vivid slash of green and the damp, cold ground of the forest.

And Halley had died that night.

Merlin. She really died. The thought was defying, that just for a short period of time she was neither here nor there—whatever there was. But her heart was beating, blood was moving in her veins, all valuable proof that she was alive.

"Hey," Gabriel yawned, he rolled his head in her direction. There was a line of dried blood that slashed across his left cheek. "What are you doing up?"

There was something very strange about imagining an event and then to actually experience it. For months she pictured how she would react to seeing him again. All paled and wavered in memory as she hard his voice clearly for the first time since the first attack during the battle.

"Don't get me wrong that I'm not amazed to see you," her voice croaked from all of the shouting from last night. "But what are you doing in my bed?"

"Uh…" His girly eyelashes fluttered and his ears turned red. She couldn't make out the exact expression on his face without her glasses. "What do you remember from last night?"

Halley closed her eyes. It was all a blur; leaving the Headmaster's office, collapsing on her bed, Gabriel almost sobbing into her shoulder…it was all starting to come back, and more hazy images came fluttering to her mind. "Why did you stay?"

Gabriel stretched his hand out and grabbed something on the table near the bed. He handed it to her; the cold metal of her damaged glasses. "Here, you need these."

Halley blinked owlishly as the world came into focus. "You're changing the subject."

Gabriel sighed. He rubbed his eyes and laid his head back on the pillow. "You left suddenly over the summer, we've heard nothing from you since then, and then you appear at Hogwarts. I thought you died. You told me that you died. I…I…" he choked on the next few words, "I needed to see for myself that you're really…alive."

Sunlight peeked through the heavy curtains around the bed. There was a muffled noise from below as everyone started to put their lives back together. Life was marching on, and was oblivious to everything else. It was an absurd thought that everything was going to start changing now, come this morning light everything was in a new era.

"Would you believe me that there was more to that?" said Halley, picking at the threads of her hole-filled sleeve. Her mouth felt very dry, but she continued. "There's so much that I want to tell you, so where should I even start?"

"You can start by saying 'hi'," he suggested, now sitting up. The bone-weary look on his face was slipping away, something more hopeful took its place. "We never did properly greeted each other in the Room of Requirement."


	2. Happy House Warming

**And chapter two…**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Happy House Warming

**Word Count**: 680

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><p><em>Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.<em>

**~Author Unknown**

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><p><em>"Stupefy!" <em>

"No—don't hit that! _Impedimenta!"_

The niffler ducked the spell and hurried its way to cause more chaos. _A year of training, _Halley bitterly thought, _and a damn niffler is impossible to catch. _She had only recently got her flat and Rory was glad to help put her things in order. What neither of the Aurors expected was Leslie Jordan's gift. More importantly, how it got through the carefully crafted wards.

Rory was moving quickly, striking one spell after another to capture the fast-moving tuff of fur. The red light of the Stunning Spell stinged the tail, but it managed its way through like a bolt of lightening. Halley couldn't remember nifflers being that fast during their Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

The small kitchenette had freshly polished silverware. Something that Halley may never see again if she couldn't trap that creature away. It huddled near the leg of the table, eyes bulging in anticipation. Halley lowered herself into a crouch, ready to forget about magic and to just jump it.

She met eyes with the niffler, its eyes twinkling with fear. The dark-haired woman locked her legs and steadied her arms...

...The door suddenly burst open and the niffler darted out as fast as a blink. Halley lunged forward only to crash into someone. Her head and arms collided into someone's midsection and made them both hit the ground with a hard _oomph_. One of her elbows dug into the hard floor, the other in someone's stomach. Halley grimaced as a dull wave of pain filled her nose, and pity to whomever she crashed into.

"Gah," Gabriel groaned. "I only brought food." He groaned again. "Potter, I think you broke my nose."

Halley lifted her head to apologise and to see where the food was now. Near Gabriel's outstretched arm there was a platter of heavenly-smelling food that was wrapped up in a thin sheet of plastic. Mrs Weasley no doubt put it together. Thankfully, it seemed to have survived the fall. It was also on a shiny platter. It was the type that left colours dancing in one's eyes if they looked at it too much.

It took Halley a few seconds to let that sink in. She also saw the niffler that was shaking behind a flowerpot, she didn't blamed it. Being almost dive-bombed by an exhausted Auror would make anyone hide behind horrible-looking floral.

"What the—"

"Don't move. Don't speak," Halley quietly instructed. She slowly reached for her wand that was in a death-grip in her hand, and willed herself to cast a nonverbal Summoning Charm. Professor Snape's words echoed in the back of her mind. '_You have to mean it_.'

Two things happened at once: The spell and the niffler making one last chance of stealing fine valuables. The spell hit the target and flew its way to Halley's out reached hand. And Rory screamed like a little girl from inside the flat.

"Bloody Hell! Georgia got you _spiders!" _That was followed by the sound of the redhead Auror jumping on the table, shouting at the eight-legged creatures to go away.

Halley sighed and rested her head on Gabriel's chest. This was exhausting. "Has anyone ever told you that your family is mad?"

He snorted. "Hey. You were the one who decided to become a part of it."


	3. Dead or Alive

**I am so amazed by the amount of reviews.**

**/Sarcasm overload.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Dead or Alive

**Word Count**: 370

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><p><em>When I am with you, the only place I want to be is closer. <em>

—**Author Unknown**

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><p>Halley crept into his bedroom quietly on the tips of her toes, her trainers in one hand. The new fabric of her uniform moved stiffly as she tried to make as little noise as possible. It was too early for anyone to be up, even for her. She was suppose to leave several minutes ago for her first field job in the Auror Department, but she promised herself to do one more thing before leaving.<p>

Her worried expression softened at seeing the sleeping Gabriel hug his pillow. The yellow duvet cocooned him and the object, with only a leg falling off the bed. _Only a Weasley, _she reasoned, _can sleep in the oddest positions and never wake up. _She brushed a light kiss on his face, turned to leave, and then felt something tug on her trainers.

"Don' come back 'ooking like Mad-Eye," Gabriel muttered through the grainy veil of sleep.

"Is that a no on the wooden leg, then?"

"Ha, ha." The youngest Weasley move his hand to grab Halley's, fingers lacing together, tugging her closer. "Can I please get a real kiss?"

"I'm going to be—_mph!" _The pleasant feeling of snogging overrode her senses. It was a tempting idea to not go to work, and to curl up in the nice warm covers for the rest of the day. The more she thought about it, the better idea it seemed.

"How dangerous is it, really?" Gabriel asked, now sounding fully awake. "Because you often get that definition mixed up…"

"Just some routine work," Halley attempted to make it sound vague. "Nothing worst than what I've done before."

He frowned. "That's not helping."

"Look on the bright side, I've been through much worst."

"Still not helping."

Scoffing, Halley gave him one last kiss. "I'll be fine, and late."

Gabriel grudgingly smiled. "One more thing. If you come back dead, I'll kill you."

A brief moment of silence filled the room.

"That doesn't make sense."


	4. Force of Habit

**AN: Remember, it's nonlinear. And this is based off an old H/G fluffy piece I wrote a few months back. A review would be nice. Or a zombie T-Rex. **

**Yeah, that's it. Get me a zombie T-Rex, please.**

**And as a warning, rating is kinda up-y for some references, but nothing squicky or eye-averting.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title: **Force of Habit.

**Word Count**: 885

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><p><em>In love the paradox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two.<em>

— **Erich Fromm**

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><p>Halley sunk onto the soapy water, her head resting on the side of the tub and the rest of her body submerged in water that was so hot that the skin was turning to a pale, dusky shade of pink. One hand still had a grip on her wand; Halley let it go and watched it fall to the fluffy carpet. She stretched her hand to get the cramp out, but even the hot water wouldn't work.<p>

Today was just one of those horrible days. Almost two years since the war ended and the trials were still in progress. Malfoys got fined and were not allowed to leave the country without filing a large amount of paperwork. Lestrange got life in Azkaban. Avery was still on the lose along with a handful of others, and the rest were either incarcerated or dead.

Halley closed her eyes and tried to find a way to let all of that negativity leave her mind. She tried stretching his body out, but that was hard in a tub that want meant for someone that appreciated long baths.

Sighing, Halley gave up and returned to being a brooding idiot.

Through closed eyes and slow senses, she could hear the soft footsteps of Gabriel. He was one of the few people that were given a key of sort to get through the wards. There was the sound of clothes being taken off, and then there was a slight splash and the water gently rocked back and forth. Warm lips grazed on the inside of her wrist. Halley opened her eyes to see him.

"Halley," Gabriel said, half-bemused and half-serious. "Do you want to drown in the tub?"

Halley blinked as she realised that the water was sloshing a little onto the floor. Guess she added too much than what she expected. "No."

"I should give you a warning." Gabriel lightly traced a scar that went down her arm. "Rory told the others loosely about today, so she and the rest will be coming over in a few hours. Which means that you are free to brood until then."

Halley raised an eyebrow. There was a catch in that mind of his, but she was too tired to figure it out.

"But, Halley."

"Mhm." She rested her head on his shoulder, the smell of his cologne was calming, and it already started to ease her senses. "I'm listening."

"I'll let you be your moody self for another second, and _then_ we're going to talk it through."

She silently cursed, wondering why he never became a Mind Healer. "Thanks," Halley spoke sarcastically, raising her head.

Gabriel smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. A warm pink had already settled onto his skin as the water's heat started to dwindle down. It was a tight squeeze for the two of them to fit, but they managed it rather easily.

"Anything to get you out of your funk," he kissed a spot of skin below her ear. "Time's up, Potter. Start talking."

Did she really had to talk it out? Sure it worked several times before, and it did made her feel better. But why did it had to be _talking?_ Why not Quidditch or something else entirely that's not talking? She could already think of several activities that didn't require any.

Gabriel snorted through the silence. "Here, let me." She she raised her head to talk to him properly. "Who did you got today?"

"Rookwood. Malfroy Senior. Umbridge." Once Halley said the last name, the scars on the back of her hand twanged with the memory of the Blood Quill still fresh in her mind. "Lestrange came in drunk, she added.

"And anything that you're allowed to tell me?"

Halley paused to think. The bathwater and the feel of his skin against hers muddled her mind. "Nothing out of the ordinary. They've been quiet."

"And you're brooding because..?" Gabriel's lips twitched into a smile and then he shook his head. "Merlin, Halley. You heard yourself speak, right?"

Halley nodded, not really hearing what he said. She wanted to sleep, but her boyfriend's quest on making her feel better was starting to work.

"You have nothing to worry about," he continued. "Just Lestrange, of course, but there is nothing for you to brood about."

The words sunk in her foggy mind. Oh. _Oh. _And just like that her brooding mood vanished, but she still felt like an idiot_. _

"So, force of habit, then?"

"Pretty much so."

"And when did you say when the other will be here?"

Gabriel grinned and cupped her face, his lips ghosting over her own. "Let's start with the 'hello kiss' that I never got."


	5. These are the Days

**AN: I am just overwhelmed but the amount of attention this is getting.**

**Really, must I always be stuck on sarcasm mode? Just one review would make my day, thank you very much. And you anonymous people can leave a review, just so you know. **

**Pretty please?**

**This is considered AU to the first one-shot, one without a fluffy reunion. I think it's more realistic that way.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: These Are the Days

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>Cause these are the days worth living<em>

_These are the years we're given_

_And these are the moments_

_These are the times_

_Let's make the best out of our lives_

_Even if hope was shattered_

_I know it wouldn't matter_

_Cause these are the moments_

_These are the times_

_Let's make the best out of our lives_

—**Our Lives, The Calling**

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><p>There was stillness during the first month since the war ended. It was as if the world was having a hard time realising that the bloodshed was over, that people could be free again. The weather had gotten lighter since then, a proverbial winter ending and a time of summer beginning. A time of change.<p>

There was a creek that passed through the Burrow's property. It was a small thing, very narrow and clustered with rocks on the beds, but it was deep enough to give even a full-grown wizard a feeling of displacement. All the Weasley children were taught how to swim in the creek. It was filled with memories of children jumping, splashing, and of young laughter. In the winter it would ice over and be perfect for some small-time ice-skating. Then the ice would break off when spring came and gently warm up in the sunshine. The happy coming of summer made the water gurgle and slosh around a small mound of earth; an old tree swayed nearby, and a frayed strand of rope followed its movements.

Gabriel knelt by the water, and prodded the surface with his hand. "It's fine," he told Halley. He stood up and turned around to properly speak to her, "Do you have any more excuses?"

It was for the past week or so that she had been making up excuses to not wanting to swim. None of them were very good, and most were very lame. It was a poorly disguised fact that everyone knew that she couldn't swim, everyone except herself.

"Wait, I have one more," she said with a small smile.

Gabriel crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Really?"

"Crocodiles. Or alligators. I keep forgetting which is more dangerous."

"Why," Gabriel asked for no particular reason, "would there be a crocodile in a small creek?

"_Baby_ crocodiles."

"Halley, that's…" he struggled for the right words. "That's the saddest one I've heard from you. I'm almost ashamed."

Halley fought to keep a dry smile off her face. "Then maybe we should abandon this lesson for some other time?"

Gabriel pretend to think about it. "Nope. Too bad. I'm going to teach you how to swim."

"That's not fair."

"Oh, please," he held out his hand. "Are you, an incredibly foolish Gryffindor, that scared of the some water?"

The (in)famous Gryffindor courage felt bruised from that comment. Halley, dropped her glasses to the ground, walked past him, and into the creek. She stood near the banks so that the water only came up to her knees. The large shirt she wore billowed, and the edges grew darker with the water. "See? I'm in the water. Happy?"

Her answer was a loud splash. She screamed and threw her hands up; the water collectively grew into a small wave and drenched her. Gabriel's red hair popped up for breath, and he doggy-paddled to her. He stumbled as he stood up on the weak settlement. "You need to be _in_ the water, git. Not waddling."

Halley opened her mouth to speak, but was momentary speechless. The monster in her chest woke for the first time in over a year. It was a pleasing sight to see him wet, shirtless, and with the sun falling around him. Even if he did looked more like a blob without her glasses, she was content to keep looking.

"Halley? Earth to Potter?" Gabriel snapped his fingers in front of her face. "You can stop ogling now."

Halley shook herself out of her stupor. "I was not," she declared firmly, "ogling at you. I was wondering what happened to your shirt."

He pointed to the riverbed where Halley squinted to see a lumpy shape of cotton laid discarded.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence.

"To be swimming," said Gabriel. "You have to be in your swimming costume."

Halley looked at her shirt that covered said costume. "I think I'm fine like this."

"Halley."

"No. I'm quite fine."

"Hey, I'm willing to walk around without my shirt for this." He held his arms apart, and a Weasley-red blush started to crawl up his face. "All in front of you, might I add."

Halley lips became a thin line; she said in a small voice, "I don't want you to see my scars."

Gabriel dropped his arms. A look of understanding crossed his face. "H-how many now?"

"I lost count." Was her terse reply.

"Yeah, same for me."

Halley was about to ask what he meant by that, and then he turned his back to her. Shirts and robes would cover them, but in the daylight they had an almost-fresh look to them. Thin and spidery, they slashed at the skin of his back in pinkish lines. They went from the nape of his neck to the very edges of his back. The intensity of the colours and amount meant that those inflictions happened often.

"It was a specialty of the Carrows," said Gabriel in a diminutive manner. "Mouthed off a certain amount of times, and you get whipped twice for each one. I couldn't keep my mouth shut enough for their likes."

Halley swallowed back a mouthful of guilt that was working its way up. Hogwarts was a home to no one during those times. It felt like someone punched her in the stomach, that what was once her home that became something to evil that it caused pain and lost to her friends. Hogwarts was often thought as a sanctuary for her, that and the Burrow. It was a place with good memories, friends, a place of having something. She wondered if she would ever look at the castle the same way ever again.

She walked closer to him and lightly outlined one with a finger. There was so many. A thick lump of anger started to solidify. Halley wanted revenge on the Carrows for causing this, she wanted justice.

"I wish I was there," she said finally, "Maybe…maybe I could have stopped them."

"I doubt anyone could have." He sat down in the riverbank, the tips of his feet riding the small, man-made waves. "We need keep moving forward. I mean, if this is the future we made, then we should at least live it."

Halley sat down next to him; the chilly water caused her skin to erupt in goose bumps. It was difficult to meet his eyes with the bright sun and her weak vision. "It's a bit hard to move when it feels like they're haunting you."

"We all knew what we were getting into." That line was repeated so many times that she was getting sick of it."

Halley rested her head in her hands; she refused to close her eyes in fear of seeing the images of the dead painted on the inside of her eyelids. "It still doesn't stop the pain. Every scar I got cost something."

"And they helped up win, Halley. Nothing was in vain." A warm hand touched the back of her neck. "Don't forget that."

Halley nodded. She could feel the emotions that she pushed to the far back of her mind wanting to escape in tears. Remus. Tonks. Felicity. Dumbledore. They were just four of the hundreds of casualties that died from Voldemort's return to his demise. Figures that would come in nightmares, asking her why she couldn't save them.

"How long do you think it will take to heal?" Halley asked with a wavering voice. She lifted her head up.

There was a familiar look in Gabriel's eyes. For a brief second, Halley thought he was going to kiss her. It was a pathetic and cheesy thought, but after the battle she wanted to have that one night with him. Just one normal night, a time without interruptions or the threat of evil. It felt like, she thought back then before falling asleep, he was the only real thing left, something that tethered her to the world. She regretted never telling him that since the war ended. She could never find the right time.

"I don't know," Gabriel answered truthfully. "But you got Rory to help, Hector, my crazy family, friends, a godson," there was a hitch of hesitation. "And you have me."

"Then I might as well make the best of it," Halley said, and tugged the shirt over her head. She caught the fuzzy look of a smile on his face. "You were saying something about a swimming lesson?"


	6. Under the Tree

**AN: A major thanks to hgforlife who left the first review. You can hold your head up and be proud. Maybe now I can be less sarcastic in the ANs. **

**I'm having fun writing the scenery. :-) Just a small note. **

**Also, Hunger Games, how was that not awesome?**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Under the Tree

**Word Count**: 730

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><p><em>I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)<em>

_God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)_

_We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)_

_God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)_

—**I Won't Give Up, Jason Mraz.**

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><p>Sunlight rained to the ground on one summer day. It came down like fat, golden raindrops, and it highlighted the bright colours and enhanced the beauty of the Burrow. Clouds lazily moved across the painted blue sky, and small winds rushed through the trees and flowers. Two sturdy trees supported a frayed, white hammock. Long branches and their large leaves hid the sun away in pockets of shadows.<p>

Halley tested her weight on the ropes and knots of it. It groaned, but made no sign of snapping. Reassured, she swung the rest of her body on it, and the distribution caused the hammock to rock gently. She tried to let the soothing motions relax her that should make the remains of the nightmares go away. Last night was particularly bad; it left a bitter taste of pennies in her mouth when she remembered waking up screaming.

Even now, Halley could hear the voices of the people she couldn't save, asking why couldn't she stopped their deaths? She couldn't move nor speak. Too many faces she recognised, all coming closer in different stages of decay…

Something touched her shoulder. Halley let out a small yelp and jumped. Quicker than she realised, her wand was out and pointing at someone. Actually, it was pointed at a surprised Gabriel who held his hands up in a silent sign of peace.

"Halley. Hi." He kept his eyes on the trained wand. "Mind not blowing me to pieces?"

"Right." Halley put her wand down, hands shaking. Gabriel put his own down, as well. "Sorry."

"I was the one who surprised you," he said, looking apologetic.

"And I almost jinxed you to next week."

There was some seconds of silence. "Was it nightmares again?" Gabriel asked quietly.

Halley sighed and raked a hand through her coarse, short hair. "Last night was…"

"Not your best?" he supplied, and then shrugged. Halley appreciated his attempts of making it seem like it wasn't a big deal. "Silencing Charms were never your forte to begin with."

More silence. "Want to talk about it, Halley?"

"No."

"Then do you mind moving over? I haven't seen that hammock in years."

Halley complied the request and moved over some centimetres. She and Rory were cleaning out the shed earlier that week, and Halley found the hammock stuffed in a box under some books about electricity. Gabriel said thanks and lay down next to her. The hammock groaned again, and swung even more in dramatic semicircles. Shadows eclipsed with light as they clung onto the ropes in fear of falling face-first in soft dirt.

Of course, during such actions, fingers would touch fingers, thighs hitting a hip, and a hand ghosting over a back. The swinging settled back to a gentle rocking, Halley lifted her head, the impression of the knots left red marks on her chin. Her glasses hung crookedly from her face, but she smiled.

"That was fun."

Gabriel returned the smile. His brown eyes were very bright. "I wonder how high it can go?"


	7. Chess

**AN: For Pottermore, I'm in the house that has the ghost with mummy-issues. And here I was hoping for Gryffindor. But my brother is one, and a friend is in Slytherin. All I'm missing now is a Puff. **

**Inspiration came from a How I Met Your Mother episode. Can't remember which one.**

**This has the most chapters out of anything that I wrote. Awesome. Thanks to Hedwige31 for leaving a review. You're also awesome.**

**Third one wouldn't hurt. And prompts. Those help a lot.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: "Chess"

**Word Count**: 787

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><p><em>Don't you wanna stay here a little while?<em>

_Don't you wanna hold each other tight?_

_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight?_

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while?_

_We can make forever feel this way_

_Don't you wanna stay?_

—**Don't You Wanna Stay, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Aldean**

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><p>In retrospect, they should soon be joining the large, Christmas breakfast Mrs Weasley made. Though, the laziness of being on break from the Auror Department and the holiday happiness made Halley a sleepier person. She was becoming even fond of sleeping in and waking up in a nice, warm bed the past few days.<p>

She wasn't sleeping in her shared room with Rory—everyone in the Burrow knew the developments of Rory and Hector's relationship. No one wanted to voice them in fear of losing the bet. It made it amusing for Halley to see Rory trying to be subtle that Halley shouldn't be in their room that night.

Halley really did try not to picture them…picturing…them playing Wizard's Chess. Yes, that's it. Those two spent the entire night playing chess. That would only be the explanation for the muffled cries.

No, really.

A new fear shook Halley out of her warm slumber. Something frightening and scream-worthy—what if they used her _bed?_ The sluggish adrenaline then zapped her nerves and forced her to suddenly sit up. Her eyes were wide and she started to untangle herself from the covers, the blankets, and her bedfellow's limbs.

"Halley," Gabriel's voice was muffled because his face was engulfed in a pillow. "Don't. It will be embarrassing for everyone if you walk in." He lifted his head up. "Think about the trauma you'll get."

Ever since Hogwarts let out its students for the holiday, Gabriel and Halley found themselves resuming a position that wasn't actually…'chess', but just sleeping and enjoying the mutual company.

Though, it did made their relationship under the title known as complicated. Neither was sure if they were actually dating, or waiting for the other to make a move.

"My bed!" Halley insisted in a strained whisper. She pulled a cover over and found a sock that went missing during the night. She slipped it on and searched for the other. "What if they _did chess _on it?"

"Eh?" Gabriel yawned. "Hang on," he got himself into a sitting position, his bed head nowhere near as messy as Halley's. "The reason why you're so bent is because of a _game?"_

"No!" Halley sparred him a quick look. She faltered. A part of her greatly appreciated the sight in rumpled bedclothes in a messy bed. It made the smirking monster in her chest stretch its talons out. Though, neither was the time nor place to think about that.

Maybe later tonight, but now wasn't.

"I don't…" His face became as red as his hair. "Oh—Seriously. You're calling it 'chess'?"

"Maybe. Hey, where is my other sock?"

Gabriel sighed and fished for her wand that was under her pillow. He picked it up and held it in the air. "Well, maybe if you remember that you're also a witch…"

Halley twisted around on the bed and reached for the wand. "Right. I knew that."

Gabriel laughed and slipped his free arm around her waist. He held her wand up higher. "Then come and get it."


	8. Monday

**AN: I have no idea what inspired this, but I think I like this one the most. The T rating definitely comes into play during later on in this seven-part mini series. Thanks to Hg4 for leaving a review.**

**I truly wouldn't mind another and maybe a few prompts. I like writing with prompts.**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: The Reasons Why: Monday

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p>"<em>So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." <em>

― **Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook**

Monday

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><p>Gabriel felt his girlfriend toss around in the early hours of the morning. He also knew for a fact that she stole the sheets again because he was getting cold. The bed kept making creaking sounds as Halley readjusted her position. The constant sound was what woke him up.<p>

Now becoming more awake, he wondered what was wrong. She had gotten quiet after meeting up with some friends at The Leaky Cauldron. Was he oblivious to something important she said? Did something happen at work? Or did the _Prophet_ say some more ridiculous lies about her personal life? Whatever it was, it was keeping him up, as well.

"Halley," he whispered. "What's got you in a twist?"

The creaking stopped. Gabriel opened an eye to see her starring intently at the ceiling. "Nothing," she said quickly. "I'm fine."

"Really?" He reached to grab her hand. "You've been tossing and turning all night. Do you expect me to believe that?"

Her answer was short: "Yes."

Gabriel gently squeezed her fingers. "Can you please tell me the truth?"

Halley closed her eyes before speaking. She moved herself into a sitting position and pulled her knees to her chest. "Do…do you find me attractive?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes," the answer was automatic. "Why are you even asking that?"

"At the pub, remember when we ran into that fan club of yours?"

Gabriel nodded.

Halley spoke quickly without stopping for breath. "I mean, it never bothered me before, but for some reason I thought why you were still even with me…"

Gabriel was shocked. He would have never thought that Halley would ever felt this way. She was always strong and self-confident, and she never did let the gossip columns in the magazines bother her too much. "Bloody hell, for over five years we've been together through the craziest of experiences, and I've been attracted to you well before day one. There is no way or reason why I would ever leave you."

"I…" She wrapped her arms around her legs; it reminded him of the time when she was in Fifth Year and the insecurity everyone felt. "Merlin. I just see those girls and I get this nagging in the back of my head that I'm nowhere near as attractive…"

"Halley Lily Potter," Gabriel spoke louder this time, he sat up and took both of her hands. "I bloody well love you. From your glasses to your toes, even when you get all old and saggy, I will always love you."

Halley's eyes were moist looking; she blinked rapidly and tried not show how emotional she was feeling. "I don't know what came over me."

Gabriel moved his arms and wrapped them loosely around her. "Let's just go back to sleep, everything is bound to be better in the morning."

* * *

><p>The Leaky Cauldron wasn't particularly busy the next afternoon. Gabriel put some of his bags down and took a seat. A smiling Hans Abbott came over to take his order. "Lo, there, Gabriel. Anything you want?"<p>

"Just a slice of pumpkin pie," he said. "How are the wedding plans coming along?" It was now a well-known fact that Hans Abbott and Nellie Longbottom would be getting married at the end of the week.

"Busy," the former Hufflepuff shrugged. "Augusta keeps trying to change the plans at the last minute, but Nellie won't hear a word of it."

"That's great to know that Nellie's been holding her ground, and do you have a few minutes to spare?"

"Just let me get your pie first." The other man walked to get the dessert when Nellie suddenly appeared.

The blonde woman kissed her friend on the check. "Is that treacle tart ingredients I see?" She pointed to the objects in the shopping bags.

"It's for Halley," he explained. "Thought it will cheer her up. You ready for your big day?"

"As long as someone will get the guts to Stun my grandmother, then I think we'll be fine," she said.

"I sadly agree," Hans came with Gabriel's pie. He slide the plate over to the redhead. "Here you go, and what do you want to talk about?"

Gabriel fiddled with the piecrust; he had no reason not to trust his two friends. "Can you two keep it between us?"

They nodded.

Gabriel told them about the minor encounter with the Puddlemere United fans, and how that made Halley doubt her self-confidence in her appearance. The couple shared his point of view that they were surprised that she started to feel that way.

"I have an idea," Nellie said at last.

* * *

><p>Halley almost yelled in surprise when she felt a familiar pair of arms encircle her. "Merlin! Gabriel don't do that!" She was at her desk and was trying to fill out some more papers. The quill in her hand scattered and large inkblots now covered the words.<p>

"Nellie and Hans say hi," he said in the way of an apology. "And I know exactly how to make you feel better."

Halley readjusted her glasses. "Why do I get the feeling that I may regret this?"

Gabriel ignored that. "Starting today and up to Sunday, I will tell you why I find you physically attractive."

"That sounds like something from a barmy romance novel."

"It will work, Potter!" he assured her with gusto that could rivaled Lockhart's. "I'll start now!"

_"Bloody hell…"_

"Your eyes. I've always liked them. Green like a fresh-pickled toad…"

It was going to be a long week.


	9. Tuesday

**AN: Tuesday**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: The Reasons Why: Tuesday

**Word Count**: 283

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><p><span>Tuesday<span>

_All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other. _

**August Wilson**

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><p>"You have a pretty smile," Gabriel told her when she woke up. He flashed her a charming grin as she opened her eyes. Halley scowled and went for her glasses. It was best to glare when she could actually see. "Well, now you're scowling. But you were smiling when you were asleep."<p>

"That's because you were quiet." Halley put her lenses on and blinked at the sudden clarity. "Oh, no. You're really going to do this, aren't you?"

He continued on. "It stills feels like the ultimate victory whenever I make you smile or laugh when you're in the dumps."

Her scowl stayed because a part of her thought that he was joking about complimenting her every day.

"Mark my words, I will—" Gabriel's words were cut off when Halley's pillow smacked him in the face. He spat a feather out of his mouth. He gave his girlfriend a bemused look. "You still don't believe me?"

"Yes."

"Then it's a very good thing that you're ticklish."


	10. Wednesday

**Wednesday. My favourtite.**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: The Reasons Why: Wednesday

**Word Count**: 328

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><p><em>There is a place you can touch a woman that will drive her crazy. Her heart.<em>

**Melanie Griffith**

Wednesday

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><p>Halley reached to grab something from the freezer. She found the tub of opened ice cream and pried the lid free. Much to her dismay, the chocolate had all been eaten. She said some not-so-nice things about people who ate the last of the ice cream and closed the door.<p>

"Your bum." Gabriel had spontaneously appeared behind the freezer door before she closed it. He was happily eating a bowl of what appeared to be the last of the ice cream. Well, that was one mystery solved.

Halley raised an eyebrow. She grabbed a spoon from a drawer and stole a spoonful of his chocolate. "I think you're trying too hard."

"I'm being serious," he said, taking another spoonful. "I think I've spent most of my Fifth Year staring at it."

"How did you ever got anything done?" Halley mock-sighed.

"Hector kept telling me off, told me to keep studying." Gabriel offered her the bowl. "Want the rest?"

"Thanks," Halley looked at it to see that it was now empty. "You horrible, ice-cream stealing git. "

"I was saying," he ignored her accusation. "You have a very nice bum," and his smile grew, "especially when you're wearing muggle jeans."

Halley couldn't help but returned the smile. "So that's why you get that look on your face whenever I buy new ones."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He took the bowl from her hands and dropped it in the sink. "But it's true. It's very round, and—"

Halley covered his mouth with her spoon. "That's it, we're ending the conversation about my arse now."

His shoulders slumped. "I can't even compliment my girlfriend's assets without being poked at by a culinary utensil."


	11. Thursday

**AN: Thursday. The T-Rating is applied.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: The Reasons Why: Thursday

**Word Count**: 550

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><p><em>How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.<em>

_I love thee to the depth and breadth and height_

_My soul can reach._

**ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING**

Thursday

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><p>Halley curled herself against her boyfriend, sighing happily. There was a downpour happening outside, so that made it the perfect weather to curl up in bed and just relax. "I like these rainy days."<p>

"Me, too." Gabriel kissed the top of her head. They were laying on their bed, resting in each other's arms. "These are the moments that I wish could stay like this forever."

"Mhm." The constant drumming of the rain overhead was making her sleepy. She pulled the afghan tighter around them, now wanting to sleep. Through her dulling senses she could feel one of his hands moving up her thigh. "Gabriel, let me rest first. Not all of us have the stamina of professional Quidditch players."

He stopped. "Do school players count?"

She lightly kicked his shin for that.

Gabriel then hummed a tune that he heard from the wireless and positioned himself so that he was spooned against her back. He lightly traced invisible patterns on her bare skin. "I thought of another one."

Halley groaned. "What is it this time?"

Gabriel moved his hand to her front and slowly stated to go downwards. "Seeing that we just had—"

"_That?"_ Shocked at where this was going, Halley quickly rolled over to face him. "You're honestly going to say…"

He nodded innocently. "I'm a healthy, red-blooded wizard. Can you blame me?"

"Yes. Go find something else to rave about."

Gabriel rolled his eyes and surveyed the woman next to him to find another physical aspect that he loved. He took her left hand and ran a thumb over the carved words. "Scars."

Halley jerked back. "I love you, but now I think you've gone off the bend, here."

He looked at her with a serious glint in his eyes. "Each one cost something, each one has a meaning, and they show that you can survive anything." He kissed the ones on her hand. "You're a survivor, Potter. And that makes you bloody sexy in my eyes."

Halley started to believe that when he began to kiss each old injury she gained. Her mind went blissfully blank as his lips moved over her skin. Gabriel brushed the hair back from her forehead, and traced the lighting bolt scar with a finger before leaning over to give her another lingering kiss.

_Maybe this complimenting thing isn't so bad after all, _shethought.


	12. Friday

**AN: Here's Friday**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: The Reasons Why: Friday

**Word Count**: 710

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><p><em>Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.<em>

**~Henry Ford**

Friday

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><p>Gabriel limped into their flat that evening. His Quidditch uniform was caked with mud and was wet, his damp hair was plastered to his skull, and he appeared to be heavily bruised. He dropped his broom by the fireplace and collapsed on the couch.<p>

"I defended your honour," he wearily informed Halley. Colourful bruises had blossomed over his face.

Halley looked up from her work on the couch and gave him a pitying stare. "Don't move," she instructed as she got up. "I'll get the potions and ointment."

"That's right," he said in a rare form of sarcasm. "Because the almost-dead bloke is always on the move."

Halley came back with her arms filled with pain-relieving products and settled them on the small table near the couch. She then propped her boyfriend up with a few pillows and stated to undress him.

"If I wasn't in such pain, then I really would be enjoying this."

The navy blue robes came off and Halley tugged the undershirt over his head. He made some hissing sounds as his muscles moved, and winced at the large amount of bruises. Soon he was only left in the trousers that came with his kit.

"Was my honour really worth this?" she asked.

His brown eyes were serious. "Always."

Halley unscrewed a bottle of bruise-reliever and started to apply it on the worst injuries. "Gabriel, what happened?"

"We were at the same field for practice as the Falcons, and one bastard thought it would be fun to say some stuff about you. I thought it would be better to shut him up. The damn beater thought otherwise."

Halley sighed and kissed the tip of his nose. "My knight in muddy armour."

"That's me," he said jovially. "Your very own knight."

Halley sat down next to him, and handed him a potion. "This will relieve more pain, but tell me what he said about me."

Gabriel made an attempt to grab the vial, but his arms felt too sluggish and heavy to do anything. "Is that really fair?"

"I'm a big girl," she held it over his head. There was a serious look on her face. "I can handle it."

His eyes stayed at the potion, and spoke very quickly, not meeting her eyes. "He said some stuff about you being like a broomstick—nothing anywhere and easy to grab." He winced.

Halley's mouth dropped. "How badly did you punch him?"

"Squealed like a Firstie, he sure did."

She gave him the potion and he drank it down. Halley sat back into the couch. "If it helps, you can do the complimenting thing now."

Gabriel put the bottle down. "Remember that black dress you wore at the Christmas party a while back?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Remember that you didn't wore a bra?"

She raised an eyebrow, her face still. "Do you want me to hit your body with a pillow, O Knight?"

He raised his hands up in defence. "Think how that's a great advantage for your size, and I like them very much. You would be amazed how teenager-me and now-me think about them."

The pillow Halley raised stopped in mid-air. "I repeat a question that I asked a few days ago: How did you ever got anything done at Hogwarts if you spent most of your time staring at me?"

"Luck, skills, and my incredible char—_ow! _Injured, valiant boyfriend here!"


	13. Saturday

**AN: I'm vaguely hurt, because still has no review of any kind, and this is over 1K hits. **

**Must I stage an intervention?**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: The Reasons Why: Saturday

**Word Count**: 607

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><p><em>A man's sense of self is defined through his ability to achieve results.<em>

**John Gray**

Saturday

Gabriel winced as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom. A day later his chest, arms, and face looked like they've been used practice for the beaters where the bludgers attacked him. Thought to him, it felt like he'd been interacting with one of Hagrid's pets. He spat a glob of toothpaste out and groaned as his back moved in more pain. He was so glad that he didn't had practice today, or Harper would be dead meat.

Steam filled the small bathroom and Halley wrapped herself in a towel when she exited the shower. Gabriel watched through the mirror as she left to go get changed. As nice as their flat was, the only problem was the space of the single bathroom. He was sure that the ones in the Burrow were bigger than this.

Gabriel wiped his mouth and then mentally went through the schedule for today: Wrap the present for the wedding tomorrow, Halley was going into work in the afternoon, Andromeda was bringing Teddy here for lunch…

"Hey, Halley?"

She called out from their bedroom. "Yeah?"

"Where's the wedding present?"

"I thought you knew?"

Damn. He made an amendment to the list: Find present. Then wrap. Come to think of it, what did they get for the almost-married couple? Gabriel had a vague feeling that it involved plants somehow…

He went to go get changed and saw that Halley was searching through the closet intently. "Need a hand?" he asked her.

Halley turned around and was blinking owlishly with her glasses-free eyes. "Eh, I was just checking again to see how the bridesmaid dress would look for the wedding."

"Can I see?" She grudgingly pulled it out. The dress was made out of some type of a light green fabric and lightly accented with gold. Gabriel stopped a nice train of thought that pictured them enjoying their own private reception. "Pretty."

"You think?" she pulled the hanger up to her chest and looked at herself in the mirror. Gabriel splayed his hands across her waist (the silly towel was in the way for anything else) and made a goofy face at their reflections. "Positive. Which brings me to Daily Compliments."

"How hard did it take you to name that?"

"Oh, hush. And it's your hair this time."

"My hair?"

"Mhm," his hands ghosted up her sides and messed up her hair for good measure, "It's messy—"

"That's because you just made it worst."

"Adorably short."

"That was also your fault because you gave Teddy that gooey stuff to play with. I think it's still stuck in the carpet."

"And…" he faltered. "…I can't think of a third one. Hang on, it'll only take a few minutes."

"Don't strain yourself."


	14. Sunday

**AN: Please, I'm begging for just one good review. **

**This is also very fluffy, like drenched in cotton candy and maple syrup.**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: The Reasons Why: Sunday

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p>"<em>I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.<em>

_Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets. _

_Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day _

_I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps. _

_I hunger for your sleek laugh, _

_your hands the color of a savage harvest, _

_hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails, _

_I want to eat your skin like a whole almond. _

_I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body, _

_the sovereign nose of your arrogant face, _

_I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes, _

_and I pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight, _

_hunting for you, for your hot heart, _

_Like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue." _

― **Pablo Neruda**

* * *

><p><span>Sunday<span>

"I can't believe we got them a singing gardening kit," Gabriel laughed. "They're going to hate us in a few weeks."

Halley slipped her heels off and chucked them near the coat closet. "It was _your_ idea, mind you."

"But you never objected in the first place."

The wedding had gone peacefully. Gabriel had somehow convinced her to dance for a majority, Mrs Weasley rambled in tears about future weddings that would be happening soon, and Halley caught the bouquet merely by chance and because someone tripped into the Best Man.

"Where should I put these?" She wavered the flowers under her nose, breathing in the sweet scent. "Blimey, it smells like heaven."

Gabriel tore his eyes away from her neck. "Huh?" He was in awe that morning when he saw her standing near Nellie. The dress had certainly left him dazed.

"Do we have any vases?"

Gabriel got out his wand and did a nonverbal Summoning Charm. A small glass vase flew from a cupboard and landed loudly at the kitchen table. "Wow. You didn't break it this time."

Then there was a loud creaking sound as a network of cracks appeared on the glass.

"You spoke too soon."

"Reparo!" With a wave of Halley's wand the vase was repaired. Another flick and it filled up with water. The bouquet was put inside, and hoped to live for more than a week.

Gabriel kissed her collarbone. "The wedding's over, we don't go back to work until tomorrow, and that means we are free to do anything."

"Is your chest still looking like a battlefield?"

* * *

><p>"Ow!"<p>

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Now I think my ego is hurting."

"You'll get over it."

The bed make a creaking sound as Halley propped her elbows on his chest, and rested her hands in her upturned hands. Her eyes seemed greener without her glasses, Gabriel noticed, larger too. He absentmindedly brushed some of her hair out of her face. _She really is beautiful,_ he thought. Her body moulded against his, and he ignored the pain in his chest as they kissed.

"Gabriel," she murmured, and then pulled back. Her green eyes were glittering. "I think I owe you something…"

"Eh?" he lifted his head up.

"It feels like I should return the favour with those compliments," Halley lightly tugged on a piece of his hair. "I've always liked the colour. It's so red and soft." Then she brushed a kiss over his eyelids. "You have the most girly eyelashes for a bloke. It's cute." She lowered to his mouth. "I used to fantasise all through my sixth year what this would feel like."

"You don't say," he parted his mouth and soaked in the warm feeling. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, skimming across the light fabric of the dress. "That's just three, Potter."

"Freckles," Halley traced a spray that went down his neck. His breath hitched at the ticklish feeling. "You really do have them everywhere."

"Only you would know that."

"And you also have a nice chest," she tapped on the buttons of his shirt. "Bruises and all." Gabriel's shirt was already halfway off, and most of the injuries were in different stages of healing. "Quidditch really has done you good."

"I know," his hand moved over the bare skin of her back. He curled his fingers over her shoulders and brought her body closer.

"Actually, it's just good muscle definition all over," Halley played with the edges of his shirt, and tugged it off. "Number seven would be your arms, because that's what really proves that you're a Chaser."

"My arms?" Gabriel sounded doubtful. "I'm kind of hurt that didn't mentioned my bum."

She smothered his laughter with another kiss. The passion was turning his mind hazy and lips numb, her lithe body pressed against his. "I still need to tell you what my number seven is for you," he whispered into her skin.

"What is it?" The green eyes reminded him of the trees that surrounded Hogwarts. Gabriel leaned down to the side of the bed and cupped a small object from his shirt pocket.

"It's your heart," he slowly opened his hands to reveal a simple band of silver and a princess-cut diamond. "How cheesy do you want this proposal to be?"


	15. To Welcome You Home

**AN: Thanks goes to Lacie-chan dattebayo for the idea, and SnowAngel116 for the great review. **

**I'm still up for more requests, prompts and more reviews, please.**

**And about the quote for this—buy that song! It's so pretty, haunting, and I immediately think of scenes like this. Little0Bird's The First Day was also a great inspiration.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: To Welcome You Home

**Word Count**: 887

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><p><em>This is a place where I don't feel alone<em>

_This is a place where I feel at home... _

_And I built a home_

_For you_

_For me_

_Until you disappeared_

_From me_

_From you_

_And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust... _

—**To Build a Home, Cinematic Orchestra**

* * *

><p>An autumn wind rushed through Hogsmead on a sunny day. Fiery leaves whistled through the alleys, past the shops, and swept upwards into the clear sky. It was the first Hogsmead trip of the year and it was busier than usual. That was because it was several months after the war that caused deep roots of comradeship and romance among several former and current students.<p>

Gabriel waited for them near the front of The Three Broomsticks. He nervously played with the fringes of his Gryffindor-patterned scarf and stared at the direction of the train station's platform—the only place in the town now that could allow people from outside to apparate here. The sight of seeing his good friend Nellie walking by and holding hands with Hans Abbott momentarily distracted him. He raised an eyebrow, trying to remember if he saw any hint of that development last year.

Gabriel then heard a sharp crack. He turned around to see Rory engulfed by Hector Granger in a very happy kiss. _Bloody hell,_ he thought, _I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that_. He'd seen over five years of those two arguing, bickering like an old couple, but now he had to get used to the fact that those two finally spit it out.

"Tad frightening, don't you think?" Halley had quietly appeared next to him, cleaning her glasses with her sleeve. She slipped them on and blinked at the romantic scene of her two best friends snogging. "Eh, just be glad that you hadn't walked in on them yet. Because ever since Hector came back from Australia over the summer…"

Gabriel shuddered. "Don't ruin what's left of my innocence. It's bad enough that they send each other those fluff-novel worthy letters every day."

"Accidentally read one, I see?"

"I think I got a cavity from that," he admitted. He extended a hand, nervous at the fact that he hasn't seen her since she saw him off at King's Cross. "Want to take a walk?" Her fingers felt even more calloused from her Auror training, but the familiar lines and chipped red nail varnish was conforming to see again.

They strolled throughout the small town, trading stories about what has happened to them over the past few months. Halley couldn't tell him much about her training due to security reasons, but she made it up by telling him about her growing time with Teddy, some amusing stories about anonymous workers at the ministry, and just the general about what friends that she ran into. In turn, Gabriel told her everything about Hogwarts.

"It doesn't feel the same," he said quietly. "It's a bit odd having Hector in my dorm, and seeing different faces in my classes. But it doesn't _feel_ like Hogwarts anymore."

"What do you mean?" Halley asked, she swung their intertwined hands up and down as they walked. "I get that some—some," she repeated with difficulty. Taking a deep breath she repeated her words. "I get that it doesn't feel like home anymore, Gabriel. I don't think that I could look at the some of the corridors or the Great Hall the same way ever again. But for you what's it like?"

"It's the Forest." Their swinging hands stopped. Gabriel brushed some of her fringe away and briefly looked at the paler scar. His voice was smaller now; Halley could barely hear it over the wind. "Halley, even if I think about it for a second, I still see…"

Halley placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him firmly on the mouth. She could have sworn that she felt some tears on his eyelashes when they brushed her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised.


	16. Penelope

**AN: The chapter title came from Odyssey, a personal favourite classic. It's kind of how I pictured Ginny/Gabriel would feel whenever Harry/Halley did the Auror field assignments. This takes place before the mini-arc. **

**Thanks to EM for her great words, I'm happy that you find them to be adorable. Once again, I would love prompts, reviews, and/or more ideas.**

**The T rating isn't entirely enforced in this one.**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Penelope

**Word Count**: 969

* * *

><p><em>The joy of meeting pays the pangs of absence; else who could bear it? <em>

**~Nicholas Rowe**

* * *

><p>It was near the end of the second week, and Gabriel was worried. He scoured through the <em>Daily Prophet<em> for any sign of what she was doing or where she was, paid extra attention to the reports on the wireless, and then he tried to keep his mind off the fact that Halley might be only Merlin knows where.

Gabriel rested his forehead against the shower wall and resisted the urge to bang his head loudly on the glass. He hated feeling so useless and scared whenever she did this. Of course, there was some ways for him to know some extra information about her assignments, but he had no desire to join up and neither was sure about marriage yet.

He stepped out of the shower and wrapped himself in a towel. Maybe he'd stop by the Leaky Cauldron and spend the evening with some of his friends, or drop by the Burrow and let his mum mollycoddle him for a few hours. He was lost in thought when he opened the bathroom door, and almost dropped the towel when he saw Halley in the middle of undressing herself. Her shirt was halfway over her head, and her glasses and her Auror robes discarded on the floor.

"I…" she started to say slowly, setting her shirt down. "I…was going to join you…in the shower…this is a little bit awkward, really."

Gabriel closed his mouth that was dropped from the scene. "You don't say."

She brushed an eager kiss over his mouth. The two weeks of no contact with her of any kind responded. He felt her fingernails dig into his back, the tangles of her hair curling into his fingers—until her stomach interrupted with a loud growling sound. "Okay," Halley admitted under her breath. "Maybe I'm hungry for real food, as well."

Gabriel readjusted the towel around his waist. "Yeah, food. Um, pasta and Mum's sauce?"

* * *

><p>"It's kind of hard to cook when you're distracting me."<p>

Halley sighed into his back. Her arms were wrapped around his middle; he could feel her shoulders shrugging. "I offered to cook."

Gabriel flicked his wand so that the spoon would stir the red sauce on its own. The other pot was boiling over, he gave it another flick and it simmered down. "You look ready to collapse at any second, Halley."

"I'm sure the floor is much more comfortable than the barracks."

"That bad?"

"It made me wish for the tent. At least it smelled nicer."

"What can you tell me?" he asked her. He felt her raise her head from his back, leaving the area colder. Gabriel saw her looking at the pile of the newspapers that was at the table.

"You'll find out tomorrow morning," she winced. "Sorry, but I'm sure that paperwork is the last thing that we both want tonight. Can we talk about something else, please? Anything but idiotic dark wizards and bollocks sleeping conditions."

"Sure," Gabriel added the dried pasta to the water, trying to think of something mundane to tell her. "I ran into Nellie yesterday, and she's about to have a nervous breakdown with the wedding."

"Oh," Halley dropped her arms and moved to sitting on the countertop to talk to him properly. One knee was now tucked under her chin, other leg swaying slightly. "What's going on?"

"Apparently, Mrs Longbottom is still trying to get them agree to a winter wedding."

"It's springtime," Halley bluntly stated. "Their wedding is in a month."

"Exactly," he was about to levitate the pasta into the strainer, but Halley beat him in the few seconds that he reached for his wand. She hungrily eyed the pasta as it was dumped in a dense cloud of steam. "Hector's also nervous because of the research he's doing for some amendments, and I have no idea how mental he'd be if Rory wasn't there to distract him."

There was an awkward silence. Gabriel hurriedly cursed himself for using those words.

"Gabriel!" Halley exclaimed loudly. "My brain—it burns!"

"Sorry," he leaned against the counter and kissed her. One of her hands clasped into the nape of his neck, and the other was splayed over his back. A leg of hers trapped him, almost causing him to topple over on her. Merlin, it felt too long since he last saw her. "I missed you," he whispered.

"Me too," Halley nipped at his bottom lip and her hands moved to the edges of his shirt. "And let's worry about dinner later, I'm more hungry for dessert."


	17. Birthday Talk

**AN: This is some friendship between Hector/Hermione and Ginny/Gabriel. Hector's nickname is from the delightful WillowBlueJay17's A Different Way of Life. Something that I recommend reading because she does a great job with keeping everyone in-character. **

**Also this has over 2K views, so (pretty, pretty) please drop a review by. I would love to know what you people like, some ideas that you have, you know…**

**My ego is bruised here, meshuganahs. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Birthday Talk

**Word Count**: 926

* * *

><p>"<em>My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me" <em>

― **Winston S. Churchill**

* * *

><p>"Back in my day we got married before we even held hands," Halley's neighbour, Miss Winders, proclaimed from the small opening of her door. The old lady never liked Gabriel and always made comments whenever he came to visit Halley. Which became even more often when his girlfriend gave him a copy of her key when he moved in.<p>

Hector raised an eyebrow and silently urged Gabriel to unlock the door faster with a hurried twitch of his hand. He cursed that the door refused to let the key turn. It was a stubborn, old thing that hated Gabriel on a daily schedule. He thought how much easier this would be if Halley hadn't upgraded the wards so that they could just pop right in.

Miss Winders saw that she was being ignored and continued. "I recognise the big one—he's _always_ here. But who are you?"

Hector kept his face neutral. "I am a friend of Halley Potter. And we are here for an errand."

She narrowed her eyes. "What exactly—"

Gabriel whooped loudly as the door finally opened. "Terribly sorry, Miss Winders, but we must be getting ready." He yanked his best friend by the shoulder and slammed the door shut.

"Is she always like that?" Hector asked. "She reminds me of Halley's aunt."

"That's what she told me," Gabriel ran a hand through his hair and looked around at the shared flat. "Halley's taking Rory out on some girls-only stuff, so that leaves us free to get the flat ready for Rory's party."

"When are the others coming?"

"In half an hour, I think."

"Start moving the furniture and wait for the others?" Hector recommended, already bringing his wand out. Gabriel was all for it. They cleared out the small parlour by making the furniture dance and shrink.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Hector asked suddenly when he ducked a throw pillow that flew over his head.

"I dunno. Maybe work, maybe the facts of life, maybe even us?" Gabriel glared at the ottoman, trying to remember when and why they brought it. It glared at him in return, and resisted to be moved.

"Us?"

"I may have sisters, but I am clueless about what they could be talking about. Why so worried?" The ottoman slammed its leg on Gabriel's foot. Swearing, he violently slashed his wand and the thing shrunk to a doll-size.

"Well…because…"

"Hector, I doubt that they would…" Gabriel thought more of it. "Okay, Merlin may only know what."

The Gentleman of Gryffindor looked flustered. His prim appearance was now slightly messy around the edges. He yanked at a curl of his hair. "That's pathetic of us."

"Let's be serious here," the shorter of the two consoled. "I don't think Rory wants to know what Halley and I do, and Halley really doesn't want to know what you two do. We've seen too much already."

"Oh. Oh, dear," he murmured, blushing. "You were not supposed to read those letters. They were private."

The furniture was put away saved for the couch, and some of their friends came to help set up the party.

"You look unwell, Hector," observed Luce. The blonde wizard was rearranging some of the streamers in a twisted shape that he said would ward off Deimoses. "Is it because of the ring you have in your pocket?"'

"You what?" Gabriel almost fell off the chair he was standing on.

Nellie's head popped through the door that was connected to the kitchen, she was helping Hans cook. "A ring? Are you finally proposing?"

"I—"

"Really!" scoffed Georgia. She placed her hands on her hips, and looking very much like her mother. "And you never asked for our permission. That's my itty-bitty Ror-Ror you want to marry."

Mortified, Hector's face was a bright red. A hand was in his trousers' pocket, protectively covering the engagement ring. "Can we not talk about this?"

Of course, that was then the door opened. And instead of Rory having a surprise party, she was greeted by the stares of her friends and family. "Halley, something is wrong with everyone."

"Oh," Halley cocked her head to the side. "Did I brought her here too early?"


	18. Mistletoe Kisses and Treacle Tart

**AN: Thanks to Bri P and WillowBlueJay (working on your prompts for the next one) for leaving reviews, and to the people who added this to their favs. I wouldn't mind getting more because this is very close to 3K views. **

**Out of curiosity, why do you guys think that people don't do canon couples in GB form? I would like to know what you think.**

**I'm in a fluffy mood for some reason, maybe it's because school is finally over. And I've been watching the Vlogbrothers, especially the ones with Henry.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Mistletoe Kisses and Treacle

**Word Count**: 916

* * *

><p><em>There's just one thing I need <em>

_I don't care about the presents _

_Underneath the Christmas tree _

_I just want you for my own _

—**Mariah Carey**

* * *

><p>The Burrow had a certain beauty in the winter. The cozy house was glazed over with a heavy amount of snow, the windows decorated with ice as the warm light from the since glowed, and the snow outside was painted over with the cherry colours that could be seen from the windows. The inside was a stark contrast from the outside: Instead of being cold, colourless, and lonely—the Burrow was warm, bright, and filled with gleaming, smiling people.<p>

The usual Christmas tree with the Garden Gnome angel was there, glowering at the passersby, little Teddy Lupin was trying to eat the popcorn strings that went around the tree, and someone had conveniently placed mistletoe near most of the exits. It was much to the amusement to see Luce Lovegood change their positions on account of the nargles' breeding grounds.

Halley was making sure that her godson would make it to his first birthday. She picked him up from the ground, ignoring his shocked cry of not getting the popcorn. "You don't want to eat that," she advised gravely. "That popcorn's been there for years." Teddy made a small noise of protest and his hair turned into a vivid shade of red.

"He's becoming a Weasley, bless him," Georgia observed dryly. The tall redhead had finally emerged from her room for the holidays. Lank hair was parted oddly to cover her missing ear, and dark shadows ringed her eyes. Halley noted with some worry that she wasn't wearing her jumper that Molly made.

"According to Andromeda, he should be doing eyes next."

"Make sure then that he does my fabulous blue ones first." Teddy then scrunched his face up and closed his eyes shut. It was anticlimactic when he opened them and they were still grey. She sighed. "Better luck next time."

"Er," Harry held the baby away, smelling, "That wasn't his Metamorphmagus-Face, it was more like his I-Need-A-Nappy-Changed-Face."

Georgia hightailed out of the room.

"I think I'll be giving you to Molly," Halley said to Teddy. No one was fond of changing his nappies. "She needs someone to coddle over."

Weaving through the crowd with some difficulty and a very squirmy baby, Halley someone managed to get from the tree and to the kitchen. The room was filled with heavenly smells and piping hot food that just came out. Every available surface was covered with food ready to be eaten, and ingredients to make more of. Molly was stirring something in a large cauldron, humming a few bars of a song.

Without even turning around, she asked, "Teddy needs to be changed?"

Halley smiled guiltily. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yes it is, dear." Molly charmed the ladle to stir on its own and took Teddy, smiling at his charming face. "Let's go get you cleaned up, mister."

"Thanks," Halley watched as the Molly multitasked by organising the food army, and calming Teddy down. "Do you know where Gabriel is?"

There was an interesting look in her eye. "I saw him with Rory."

Finding two people was harder than finding one, even more so if it was two redheads in a very large redhead family. When Halley did saw Rory, she was having a hush conversation with Hector. They were animatedly using their hands and the Muffulato Charm was cast.

Backing away, she collided into a familiar figure. Lips grazed her ear, "Found you." Turning around, Halley saw Gabriel wearing a chocolate-brown kitted jumper and holding a plate of treacle tart. Looking up, there was a spring of mistletoe over their heads. Gabriel and treacle tart, this was shaping up to be a wonderful Christmas.

"Is this how you'll be seducing me, Gabriel?" she joked, "With my favourite treat?"

"You caught me," he exclaimed. "This is my incredible plan to slowly seduce you with treacle and sugar—is it working?"

"I'll let you know," she took the plate from his hands and stared dreamily at it. "Thanks, though."

"And I still need to give you your Christmas gift," Gabriel reminded her. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Halley looked up, perplexed. "But I have you, treacle, and mistletoe. What else could I want?"

He merely shrugged and whispered something in her ear. The plate almost dropped to the floor, and her jaw was somewhat unhinged. "Well, uh…we have talked about…that…"

"Happy Christmas, Halley." The kiss was quick and he went to go join the others.

"It's working," she muttered under her breath. "Damn you, Weasley." Halley reminisced over what he said and looked at her plate that was getting cold. "But at least I have you, Treacle Tart."


	19. Table Talk

**AN: Thanks goes out to those that left reviews and it added it to their favs. Major thanks to Willowbluejay for the idea. And because the question thing actually worked, I'll be continuing it. **

**Yes, the Vlogbrothers gave me the idea. **

**(This is well over 3K views, and I am hinting at something) This takes place the morning after the previous one. T Rating is heavily implied.**

**The question for this chappie: What aspects in Deathly Hallows do you think would be different in the GB-verse? **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Table Talk

**Word Count**: 976

* * *

><p><strong>Barney<strong>: _Are we still friends?_

**Robin**: _Hope_

**Barney**: _Good_. [sits on bathtub] '_Cause get this, Ted almost adopted a baby. _[scoffs] _Crazy, right? Poor guy's going through some stuff. He actually tried to rope me into it. _

—**How I Met Your Mother**

* * *

><p>Waking up that morning was rather nice, in Halley's opinion. Through her blurry eyesight she could barely make out Gabriel's sleeping face. She tried to read the clock on the nightstand, but could only see blurry, glowing blobs that could be numbers. Sighing, Halley was content enough to go back to sleep.<p>

Gabriel sighed into her shoulder, whispering something in his sleep. Tugging the heavy blanket tighter around them, she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. It was easier thanks to hearing the rhythmic beating of his heart, feeling the callouses on his hands…Halley's mind fuzzily went back—

"Oi! Gabriel, it's Christmas—bloody hell!" Rory stood shocked by the door. Halley knew that because only her friend would chose to say those curse words after (and there was a similar stream going on in her own head).

Gabriel slowly lifted his head up, blinking, and pale-faced with terror. "Please tell me that I'm having a nightmare. Right?"

"Potter, you slept with my little brother!"

* * *

><p>"I can explain," Halley said to the Weasley sisters. They all sat around the kitchen table, glaring darkly at the dark-haired girl. The most threatening came from a silently fuming Charlotte and a not-visible-yet-but-pregnant Beatrice. Molly and Arthur were thankfully visiting some old friends at the moment.<p>

Priscilla crossed her arms, speaking first. "Let me be the first to ask when this relationship started?"

Halley squirmed in her seat. She hated being on the end of those glares. "Oh, uh, you never knew?"

"That'll be my fault," Rory piped up. Her face was pink. "Never did told them what happened in Sixth Year." Halley was very much glad that their friendship could survive this.

"What happened?" demanded Georgia; she looked to Rory and Halley. "All we know is that you and Gabriel had been getting really close the past few months, and you slept with him. Our dear, innocent, and _little_ baby brother."

Halley stared intensely at a crack in the wall that was between Rory and Georgia. "We started dating after Gryffindor won the cup—"

"Wait!" interrupted Charlotte. Her face was pale, and eyes wide. Out of all of the Weasley sisters she was the shortest and most muscular. Halley noted her as number three on her feared list, right under Molly and Rory. "You had made Gabriel a target for You-Know-Who?"

That broke out a small commotion of noise. More glares were sent at Halley and she slumped lower in her seat. Thankfully, Rory took control.

"Oi! Ladies! They broke if off after Dumbledore died," and before anyone could accuse Halley of crushing his heart, Rory continued, "And now they've been back together since what? September?"

That's it; Rory would be getting Cannon tickets for her birthday.

"Halloween," Halley meekly corrected.

"And now you are going to bloody explain why," her friend marched on with a determined look on her face. And no more Quidditch tickets for Rory.

"Right," Halley desperately wished that she were anywhere but there. She kept her focus on the wall. "Let me think a bit before you all curse me into an oblivion."

"Or you can call them all hypocrites?" Gabriel lightly suggested. His expression was neutral as he met each of his sisters' eyes. His arms were crossed over his chest, and eyes fierce. He was standing near the door and glared at his family. "Wow, how much do I have on all of you? Beatrice, do you want me to tell Mum and Dad how old you were? Or, Charlotte, how about that secret boyfriend? Priscilla, I've walked in on you and Patrick too many times. Georgia, you've always been bad at hiding your diary…

"And Rory—" Said girl jumped and her facial expression matched the others. "Well, everyone knows about you and Hector. Now how about everyone of you just stay out of our sex life."

He collapsed into a chair next to Halley, exhausted from the rant. She hesitated, but reached for his hand. It was time to get some normality back. "Slept well?"

"Oh, fine. How is everyone?"

"Morning sickness is horrible," Beatrice mumbled.

"Mum said no opening presents yet," Georgia complained.

"I'm trying to convince Hector to move in with me." All eyes were on a blushing Rory. "Merlin, and _that's_ what surprises all of you?"


	20. Staying and Leaving

**AN: Thanks to those that left reviews. And this takes place straight after the first chapter.**

**Thank you, Willow, for finding the quote. **

**I'm always up for more suggestions about what to write next. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Staying and Leaving

**Word Count**: 493

* * *

><p><em>"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to<em>

_what lies within us." _

—**Ralph Waldo Emerson**

* * *

><p>Everything felt surreal. The war was over, but she still felt afraid. The only safe place at the moment was her dorm. Halley ducked her head out of the shower and saw her reflection in the foggy mirror. She could almost make out the outline of a too thin girl and long dark hair. She ended the shower and slipped her cleaned glasses on.<p>

_Yikes! _She thought. _I look even worst_. The shower brought colour back to her face, but it showed off her new scars and injuries. Scowling, she put some clean clothes on and opened the door to her dorm.

Gabriel was still there. He was curled up on the bed and his face buried in a pillow. Halley sighed and sat on the bed next to him. She laid a hand on his back, rubbing in small circles. "Gabriel, why are you still here?"

"I don't want to leave," he mumbled. Pulling his face away, she saw that his eyes were red from crying. "I want to say up here. With you."

"Your family needs you downstairs."

"I can't do it. I can't go down there."

"Gabriel."

"Really, Halley," he sat up, clutching the pillow to his chest. "I just can't."

Halley cupped his face; the faint stubble made her fingers tingle, and kissed him softly on the mouth. There was a desperation that wasn't there before, and all too soon she ended it. "For me, just go," she said. "I'll be down there soon."

Gabriel nodded. She helped him stand up on his shaking legs, one of his hands held tightly onto hers. Halley guided him to the door that led him out of the dormitory, and opened it.

"You can let go," she insisted.

He stared blankly at their hands and regretfully let go. Gabriel supported his weight by leaning that arm on the door. He swung a leg back and forth near the steps, afraid. He looked back at her with dark eyes. "See you there, Halley Potter."


	21. Letters

**AN: Thanks to those that left reviews. This happens before and after To Welcome You Home.**

**I'm always up for more suggestions about what to write next. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Letters

**Word Count**: 841

* * *

><p><em>Love dictates, but a kiss writes the secrets of the heart. Anonymous<em>

—**Anonymous**

* * *

><p>Dear Halley,<p>

Ever got the feeling that you're walking into a dream? Because that's what I felt when I walked into the Great Hall. It's just so odd how everything looks the same and different. On the outer layer it's like nothing changed—but everything seems scarred.

On a happier note, how's Teddy?

—Gabriel

PS: Hector, Nellie, and Luce say hello.

* * *

><p>Dear Gabriel,<p>

I got a similar feel at the Ministry. Thought it was missing a few explosions.

Don't tell Hector that.

Teddy's fine, and he's getting…interesting with his powers. The poor guy can never keep his hair a constant colour. Rory and I are making bets for the next one. I swear it's either going to be my hair or the loveable Weasley shade of red.

I wish I can tell you about my Auror training, but it's one of those things you either need to be an Auror for. Or married.

Let's ignore that last fragment.

How are you? And tell the others that I say hi.

—Halley

* * *

><p>Dear Halley,<p>

I can't tell if the new Defence teacher is good or not.

She seems nice, a bit hard to understand her American accent at times—I think I'll just keep her at neutral at the moment, mainly because Hector also doesn't know what to think yet.

Quidditch got brought up today, so do you got any tips for the new captain?

Classes are fine. Slughorn's been going on about which Slytherins that he no longer counts as Slytherins, Hagrid's been thankfully giving people hot chocolate when they're teary, and Hector says that if I don't stop writing now then he'll erase this.

Did you know that quills could make such loud scratching sounds?

Good-night,

—Gabriel

* * *

><p>Dear Gabriel,<p>

Rory got injured during training today. Don't worry it was nothing too serious.

I looked at her letter from Hector, and the new teacher also confuses him. The only thing he's probably worried about is NEWTS. Has he been freaking about them yet? Even though it's only September…

Well, tips on being a Quidditch captain; just copy whatever I did and what I've told you about Wood:

- Use whistle.

- Shout.

- Try to appear intimidating.

- When that fails use a pathetic Quidditch-related joke.

- Don't piss off the beaters.

And don't keep poor Hector up with you're writing; he'll get revenge when he makes your study guide.

— Halley

* * *

><p>Halley,<p>

I'm going to be blunt:

There's a Hogsmead trip this weekend; care to come?

I miss actually talking to you,

— Gabriel

* * *

><p>I'll be there<p>

Miss you,

— Halley

* * *

><p>Halley,<p>

Should we talk?

— Gabriel

* * *

><p>Gabriel,<p>

Where do we start?

—Halley

* * *

><p>Halley,<p>

You started it. It's bad enough that between nightmares and homework that I've had trouble sleeping, and now I got you.

I tried to rephrase that, but each one sounds madder.

Merlin, it's just that you kissed me out of the blue! And then we went off our merry way as friends.

Git.

— Gabriel.

* * *

><p>Gabriel,<p>

…

As sad as it sounds, I miss you. I miss our bloody relationship. I had no idea what I was thinking, but I wanted to kiss you.

Dammit, Weasley, you're not the only one who is driving the other up the wall.

We should meet up again.

Your git,

— Halley

* * *

><p>Dear Git,<p>

Funny, very funny.

See you Friday.

— Gabriel

* * *

><p>Gabriel,<p>

So to make things clear, I am no longer your noble prat? Just a git?

— Halley


	22. A Loud Silence

**AN: Thanks to Willow for leaving a review. **

**I think it'll be fun to try this style—the first part with no dialogue, and the second with all. And I'm getting really close to 4K hits.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: A Loud Silence

**Word Count**: 674

* * *

><p><em>The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.<em>

**- Victor Hugo**

* * *

><p>Summer was slowly turning into fall. Bright greens were starting to darken into reds and golds. Shadows lengthened, and coldness started to become more apparent at night. Now it was the time to wear thicker clothing and to spice Pumpkin Juice with a Heating Charm.<p>

Halley pushed opened the rusting doors of the kissing gate and went to go search for her parents' grave. She curled her fingers tightly with the long sleeves of her knitted jumper. Her eyes passed over the different graves, half-wondering if anyone came to visit them. In fact, everything seemed very different without the heavy blanket of snow.

Then she saw the off-white tombstone. Kneeling down, Halley saw a dead bouquet of flowers on their grave. She propped them up by the tombstone and manually cleaned it up. Her shoulders shook and she shut her eyes so that she could prevent crying. Halley tilted her head back to face the sun; the bright light caused the prickling sensation to leave.

Once the grave was clear, she lightly traced the engravings of he parents' names and their dates with a finger. Mouthing them silently, she then whispered good-bye.

* * *

><p>"How do you feel?"<p>

"Meh."

"A witch of many words, Potter."

"Fine, thanks for giving me the treacle, Gabriel."

"Anytime, you really need it. Can I have a bite?"

"Sure."

"Mhm, maybe I shouldn't had added that much treacle—feels a little gummy."

"I think it's fine."

"…"

"…"

"Halley—"

"What? I. Am. _Fine_."

"No, you thick-headed prat, you're not. I don't think anyone is _just fine_ after seeing someone's grave."

"…I'm pissed that my parents are dead. I'm pissed that they'll never see the person that I am today or what I'll be. I'm pissed that Remus and Tonks are dead and they won't even be able to see Teddy grow up. I just wish that people would stop _dying_…Bugger! I'm crying."

"Life is a mad place?"

"Y-yeah."

"Everyone says that it gets better, that we'll move on, but how can we? I'm living in the house that my sister lived in. Whenever I see Teddy I think of Remus and Tonks, and I have nightmares of you being dead. It's like we're all haunted."

"And here I thought being stalked by Moaning Myrtle was bad enough."

"There could be a worst fate."

"Doesn't this seem kind of weird that we're having this conversation under your sheets like this?"

"Eh, not really. It reminds me of pretending that I was camping when I was little. I would bring a torch, some marshmallows, and my favourite stuffed animal."

"I would sneak my textbooks up to my room and try to get my holiday homework done. I like yours better."

"I think I do, too. Hard to beat marshmallows."

"…"

"…"

"Do you think anyone's going to notice that we've been hiding in my room?"

"Just a little."


	23. Late Night Surprise

**AN: 4K hits, and thanks goes out to Willow as usual for the great quotes selection. And just as much thanks to When the Thunder Rolls In for the many reviews.**

**I also accidentally deleted a part of it due to revising on my phone. Pages really needs to get a 'back' button for the phone app. **

**You may get another chapter before I leave on Sunday for two weeks. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Late Night Surprise

**Word Count**: 808

* * *

><p><em>"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." <em>

**- Charles M. Schulz**

* * *

><p>There was a certain sense of exhaustion and insanity that came with being an Auror. There was the endless paperwork, the training, the field assignments, the paperwork, and dealing the unemotional MLE's. Halley's quill was posed over another sheet of paper, too tired to even know what to write next. Maybe she should write something about penguins just to see if anyone would notice.<p>

Physically and mentally exhausted, Halley took her glasses off and hung them from her extended fingers. Her mouth was curled into a dissatisfied sneer. There should have been something in the OWL's pamphlets about the unseemly amount of paperwork that they were forced to do.

Halley put her glasses back on and let her eyes wandered. On her desk was a small clutter of magical photos: There was one of Rory, Hector, and herself as firsties, Teddy was smiling as he repeatedly tried to eat chocolate ice cream, and some photos of her friends' weddings. There was a larger photograph of her and Gabriel at their wedding, and for some unexpected reason she felt tears stinging in the back other eyes.

_Dammit, how tired am I? _She thought. A quick look at the clock on the wall told her that it was nearing midnight. Halley leaned back in her chair and ran her hands through her hair. All she wanted to do was to go home, eat a warm meal, and to have Gabriel sleeping next to her. But she was stuck being here until she finished the large amount of papers. A sharp pain suddenly in her side reminded her of the physical injuries that she had attained. Halley was experiencing cramps like that a lot during the past few days.

Scowling, she opened her miniature calendar. _Why can't this bloody thing start already? I just want this over with! _Then she came to the current month, tilting her head to the side, Halley looked back to the previous month, and then the one before that. Realisation sunk in as she went back to the current month. The lack of red X's was the biggest clue, and she couldn't blame the excess stress this time.

"Potter." Robards was standing by the door. "You look like hell. Come in tomorrow morning to finish, you're free to go."

Halley yawned, not bothering to correct him that her surname was actually Weasley now. She got out of her seat and stretched her arms out. "Thanks, Robards."

* * *

><p>Gabriel was sleeping in an odd position that consisted of him sitting somewhat upright on the bed, and his head tilted back over the headboard. One of those barmy romance novels that he secretly liked was dumped in his lap. Leave it to him to try to stay up until she would probably get home.<p>

Halley tugged her robes over her head and kicked her shoes off. She pushed the sheets back and slipped into bed with him. She kissed Gabriel's shoulder, vaguely tasting the chocolate that she took from the kitchen from when she got home. Halley whispered, "I'm here now."

He mumbled something, opened an eye, and then two. "You're home. Hiya." He slid lower down the bed, and discretely hid the novel. "When did you come home?"

"Just a few hours back, I had paperwork to do."

"Poor you," Gabriel yawned into the crook of his arm. "What time is it?"

"Late. Early morning. Something unreasonable." Halley said it all with a dry smile on her face.

"Oh," he closed his eyes and slowly went back to sleep. "Night. Love you."

Halley curved against him and waited for a few seconds to speak. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm pregnant."


	24. A Simple Mistake

**AN: Thanks every single person who left a review and/or multiple. You are all awesome, so please keep it coming. **

**And off to camp! **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: A Simple Mistake

**Word Count**: 689

* * *

><p><em>"Romance is tempestuous. Love is calm."<em>

**- Mason Cooley**

* * *

><p>It was a lazy summer evening at the Burrow. Hidden in the growing shadows of several trees, Halley and Gabriel were protected by the impressive heat. The hammock was up, and they were half-asleep. Gabriel was sprawled over it while Halley was using a part of him as a pillow.<p>

Gabriel swung them back and forth by pushing them off the tree. It wasn't a perfect way to swing, but it worked. One of his arms encircled Halley and the other touched the ground whenever the hammock reached the middle. They'd gotten out here for the sole purpose of wanting to talk nonsense over iced lollies, then soon falling asleep as the stars above began to twinkle.

_I like this, _he thought as he absentmindedly played with the strands of Halley's hair. She was curled into a ball, the top of her head fitting under his chin. _Wish there could be more days like this. It's peaceful, surprisingly quiet…_

Gabriel suddenly sat up. "Oh, bloody hell!"

Halley woke up, blinking owlishly. She went from lying peacefully to almost falling to the ground. Her wand was out, pointing it at several directions away from him. "What? Where?"

Gabriel poked her shoulder. "First off, I'm right here."

"Right," Halley turned around and squinted. "I would be making a comment about your expression if I could see. Where's my glasses, and what's wrong?"

"And second, happy birthday!" he said quickly, and then tried to find her glasses, wherever they could be. He bent over the hammock as it swung a little too deeply for his liking. Nope, no glasses. Gabriel looked back up and shrugged.

"It's my birthday?" Halley sounded genuinely surprised. There was something so sad about hearing that coming from her mouth. Birthdays should be about cake, being with family and friends, and presents. The day was almost over, and just about everyone had forgotten about it.

"Yeah," Gabriel looked over at the other side and still couldn't find them. "Now I feel horrible."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. And how about a Summoning Charm? I can't find them."

Halley's lips twitched and she nonverbally cast the charm. At the roots of a tree that supported the hammock, her glasses came zooming to her hand. She cleaned the lenses off with her shirt and put them on. "If it helps, I don't want anything."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Halley, it's bad enough that we all forgot the day of your birth, and now you don't want anything. How guilty do you want to make me feel?"

"That's it," she drawled. "I want a rainbow unicorn that can speak Mermish, a baby dragon that plays Quidditch, and a friendly Blast-Ended Skewert." She even batted her eyelashes for the effect.

"Git," he smiled.

"And a noble prat," Halley kissed his cheek. "It's sweet of you to worry, but I'm fine. All want is peace." She pushed him back down, took her glasses off, and resumed her earlier position. "And some sleep."

Gabriel sighed and tucked her glasses in his pocket. Halley smiled at seeing that and whispered thanks. He started to drift off to sleep, her warm weight and iris-scented shampoo helping. Then Halley said in a low voice, "You know, maybe a friendly Blast-Ended Skewert isn't that bad of an idea…"


	25. Night

**AN: Thanks goes to everyone who left review, I will be using those prompts sometime soon. I'm also very happy because this made it to 5K hits, and I bought Good Omens and The Fault in Our Stars.**

**This short one happens between chapter 18 and 19, and from Gabriel's perspective. Thanks to When the Thunder Rolls in for some of the prompts. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Night

**Word Count**: 532

* * *

><p>"<em>You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." <em>

― **Dr. Seuss**

* * *

><p>It was a soft sigh that woke him up. Gabriel didn't had to open his eyes to tell that Halley was sleeping soundly next to him, but he did anyway to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He saw the tangles of her hair obscuring his vision; she was facing away from him, her warm legs tangled with his. Gabriel had found a rare positive for his small and narrow bed; the constant skin-to-skin contact in whatever sleeping position ether took.<p>

He drew nonsense patterns on the skin of Halley's back. He lightly traced over pink scar tissue that stood out from the moonlight-washed skin. Her scars were healing nicely, and Gabriel could no longer feel her vertebrae as much. Over the past few months the gaunt, pinched look that Halley had was fading away thanks to Mum's cooking.

Gabriel carefully pushed himself in an upright position to gather his thoughts. He saw from there that his room was now a conundrum. It was clean and messy; large areas of his room were fee from clutter, but in the corners where the cleaning spells went off was where most of the mess went. The floating candles that he had brought out had dripped cold wax on the floor. He briefly wondered how he was going to explain that to his mum.

But if he had to explain to his mum, then he would have to explain why Halley was in his room at night. In his bed. With lack of clothing. Gabriel didn't fancied what chances he had of Mum not becoming a Saber-Tooth Tiger.

Halley turned over, bleary eyes looking up at him. "What are you doing awake?"

"Just thinking," Gabriel answered, ridding any thoughts of his family finding out what happened. He slid back down and encircled an arm around her waist. This all felt too perfect to be real. Maybe he actually fell asleep and dreamt everything from Halley entering his room, and then to the euphoria afterwards. "Tell me one thing," he asked. "Are you sure that this isn't a dream?"

Halley looked at him for a moment, her eyes brighter. "It isn't," she said, and raised a hand to touch the side of his face. "Then again, I could be the one dreaming."

Gabriel took her hand and pressed a kiss on the palm of her hand. His husky voice was almost unrecognisable to even his own ears. "Don't wake up, then."


	26. Think of the Children

**AN: Eh, I found time after all at camp to write. So would have thought that it would be hard to find time to write at a camp that specialised at reading and writing. **

**The funny part is that most fanfic writers I'm running into write slash. **

**And this was a courtesy of the creative writing class I took, we had to write all in dialogue, and this was inspired…And the intermediates just came in with newspapers with eyeholes cut out…Why? **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Think of the Children

**Word Count**: 544

* * *

><p><em>The joys of parents are secret, and so are their grieves and fears.<em>

—**Francis Bacon**

* * *

><p>"You're awfully quiet."<p>

"Mhm."

"'Mhm' to you, too. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing is also awfully quiet, Halley."

"…You know, that look reminds me of your Mum's. Did she taught you that at a young age?"

"… "

"Okay, fine. I have been worrying."

"You don't say, Mrs short, dark, and brooding?"

"No need to be that sarcastic, Gabriel. But have you ever thought what's going to happen now?"

"Now? As in, 'Now we're going to have kid'? Or 'Now everything about our life will change'?"

"Both, and what are we going to tell him once he's older?"

"Him?"

"Or her."

"Well…we…we tell him-her that…Oh, great. Now I don't know how to explain every bleeding thing."

"Exactly, and that's what scares me. When baby…him-her grows up a bit, and starts to notice how some people treat us, or those Chocolate Frog cards, and the memories—Hell, there's even an award for Rory and I back at Hogwarts—I don't know how we'll explain to him-her about everything."

"Start with something small."

"Brilliant. Got any ideas?"

"…"

"My thoughts exactly. I didn't think anything could be classified as 'small'. 'Expulsion-worthy', yes. 'Life threatening', yes. And let's not forget the whole saving-the-world part."

"…We're going to be the weirdest parents ever. You know, always twitchy when him-her opens up to eat a Chocolate Frog, saying small stuff about their time at school…Merlin, imagine telling him-her how we met?"

"At King's Cross."

"Okay, maybe it won't be that hard. Just that part, really."

"Bloody hell. We are doomed."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't even be thinking about this if you hadn't brought it up. Now I'll be up at night wondering how messed up out kid will get. Makes you real glad that we have Teddy, doesn't?"

"At least we know what to do with nappies and such. That's a bright side."

"So, now you decide to look on the bright side of things. Here's some more do that you wouldn't be worrying over them, too: Him-her has a loveable family, parents that care enough to worry, an incredible god-brother, no prophecies, no bigoted dark lords, and will be an amazing Quidditch player."

"To be honest, I'm not that worried about Quidditch; more like everything else."

"Blasphemy, dear, that's just blasphemy."


	27. Similarities

**AN: And now for some much needed father-son bonding!**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Similarities

**Word Count**: 595

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><p><em>We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up.<em>

**~Christopher Morley**

* * *

><p>James 'Jimmy' Sirius Weasley was a physical combination of his parents. He had the same dark, messy hair and pale skin as his mother; and the brown eyes and tall build as his father. He even got the Weasley freckles over his nose and chin. In a way, Jimmy was like Halley but in reverse; looked so much his mother, but had his father's eyes.<p>

Gabriel poured him some hot chocolate into a chipped mug and pushed it across the table. "Drink up, Jimmy," he said softly in the early morning. Jimmy looked down at the mug, searching for any sign of a Calming Draught. Satisfied, he took a small sip.

"I don't want to go," the boy suddenly whispered through his newfound chocolate moustache. He used his sleeve to wipe it away. Jimmy also used that sleeve to hide his tears. "I don't wanna leave you and Mum and Al and Lily."

Gabriel twisted his fingers in a knot, rested them under his chin, and leaned forward. "Says the boy whose been gloating all summer. You got Al all happy because now he gets to use your broom."

Jimmy's head shot up. The thought of his prized possession being used by his little brother had momentarily broken his sadness. "W-what? No! That's my broom!"

"Then why have you been so excited to go?" Gabriel asked. In the back of his mind he started to see the many similarities. Much like his son at his age, Gabriel would act all excited to go, and in the end he would beg to his parents that he could wait another year. Of course, he did this all far away from his sisters so that they wouldn't use it against him.

"Because I'm eleven. Only babies cry and want to stay home—like Lily when she first went to primary school!"

"You too cried a lot," Gabriel reminded him gently. He had a clear memory of Jimmy clamping onto Halley's leg, begging for them to never leave him. "James Sirius, you'll love Hogwarts. We promise you that."

"B-but…"

"Teddy's gong to be there to help you, Hagrid, Aunt Nellie, Victoire, and Fred." Gabriel sent a Warming Charm at Jimmy's mug. "Cheer up, sweetie. You have family there to help you."

Jimmy took another sip of his drink. He looked up at his dad with his expressive, dark eyes and curly eyelashes. "Is it true that the forest has scary, man-eating animals? That you have to fight a troll? And Aunt Rory said that giant spiders there can tap-dance!"

Gabriel stifled a yawn. It was too early to be up, but he smiled after anyway. "Do you truly think that I'll say anything? You got to find that entire thing out on your own—but _no_ adventuring in the Forbidden Forest. That's an order."

Jimmy crinkled his nose in annoyance. "But, Da—_ad."_

"I don't want my oldest son to get eaten by a child-eating monster," Gabriel said plainly. "Your mum and I would have no idea what to do with your room afterwards." He thought about it for a moment. "I could make it into a Quidditch Pitch."


	28. Confessions

**AN: I'm not on a roll! This takes place between chapters five and six.**

**Thanks to EM and Willow for leaving reviews.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Confessions

**Word Count**: 603

* * *

><p>"<em>I wish we could be regular kids." <em>

― **Buffy the Vampire Slayer**

* * *

><p>Gabriel couldn't place the right words to describe how he felt that month after the war ended. It was a mixture of many emotions that mostly left him numb and confused. Like how did Halley actually survived the Killing Curse? What made Riddle to hard to kill? And what the hell happened to the trio that year?<p>

But all of that faded away when he and Halley were curled up at the hammock. It was becoming a regular occurrence for the both of them. It was usually the same position: With Gabriel sprawled out, and Halley resting soundly on top of him. It was very innocent, and even peaceful with the hammock swinging.

Gabriel was more than half-asleep when Halley joined him. She tentatively stopped the swinging and pushed herself up, accidentally digging her knee in his side. Whispering an apology, she moved herself so that her head was under his chin, and that her knees were tucked under hers. Gabriel welcomed the extra warmth and weight, the texture of her skin and scent of her hair sent him spiralling into more dreams.

Halley spoke suddenly in a hoarse voice. "I sometimes forget how young we really are. I wish at times that we could…start it all over. Maybe I could do something different."

Gabriel opened an eye, and then both. He wiggled into an upright position, leaving both pairs of feet dangling off the hammock. "You did what you could. Halley, you're only human."

She made a face. "I hate that phrase."

"It's true."

"Doesn't mean that I have to like it." She opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped.

"What?" Gabriel asked. He started to feel some prickling annoyance at her stubbornness. Why couldn't she say what was on her mind? She was going to drive him insane one day all because she decided to be a thick, and an oddly chivalrous prat.

Halley looked sheepish as she ran a hand through her hair. It was longer than what anyone was used to due to her adventures from last year. "Do…do you want me to explain everything?"

"No more secrets," Gabriel said evenly. "I just want the truth. The whole truth."

Halley tucked her knees under her chin and wrapped herself into a tight ball. "I guess it all started with a love potion, a scared girl, and a frightening series of events…"

* * *

><p>"I almost pity him."<p>

"Gabriel, you start to feel less of that, because it gets to be a lot worst."

* * *

><p>"Voldemort did <em>what<em> to soul?"

"He split it seven times."

"I heard that, but why?"

"He's afraid to die, so afraid that he'll do anything to stay alive."

* * *

><p>"I-I used the diary. I was being influenced by his <em>soul<em>. I-I…"

"Hey, look at me. Gabriel, your soul is your own, the Sword of Gryffindor and the Basilisk fang made sure of it."

"But—"

"I know how you feel. I was Voldemort's last Horcrux. I even got another scar from dying."

"…Oh. Is that a…lightening bolt?"

"Tad embarrassing if I ever decide to wear a swimming costume."

"Are you trying to use humour so that I won't go mad?"

"Is it working?"


	29. This is a Place

**AN: This takes place after Chapter 21. I recommend listening to the song. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: This is a Place

**Word Count**: 689

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><p><em>Where the doors are moaning all day long,<em>

_Where the stairs are leaning dusk 'till dawn,_

_Where the windows are breathing in the light,_

_Where the rooms are a collection of our lives,_

_This is a place where I don't feel alone_

_This is a place that I call my home..._

― **That Home, Cinematic Orchestra**

* * *

><p>"Hey," Halley waved hi at Gabriel. She stood at the edge of the Quidditch Pitch, uncertainty and harsh memories preventing her from crossing any further. Through her eyelashes she could see the past events that happened at the pitch. Old victories, games, and burning fire…<p>

Gabriel walked up to her, his scarlet robes flapping behind him like a bird in flight. "What are you doing here? I thought you were coming on Friday?"

"I thought sooner would be better," Halley licked her suddenly dry lips. Why did she have to be so nervous? "So, we need to talk?"

"Right," his family's signature blush had already started its way up his face. He jerked a hand in the direction of the Changing Rooms. "Do you want to do it over Quidditch to make it easier?"

"I dunno, it's been a while since I've flown…"

"Halley," Gabriel smiled. "You're a great player but a little rusty, now come on." He started to walk in that direction, but called out over his shoulder, "Think of it this way, maybe I can catch the Snitch beater than you can."

Halley easily caught up, walking in-place with his steps. It felt good to be smiling and to be feeling at ease. Already she could feel the wind flying through her hair as her fingers wrapped around the Snitch. "Is that a challenge, Weasley?"

"Let's go make it one: Loser talks first."

* * *

><p>"T-told you that you were still great at it," Gabriel panted as he heavily leaned on his broom for support. "Dammit, you weren't even using a high end broom, and you still crushed my pride and spirit."<p>

Halley laughed and let go of the Snitch. It flew around Gabriel's head almost mockingly. He batted it away, scowling. Halley dropped her broom and fell backwards to the grass. The happiness made her feel light-headed, it was almost intoxicating.

"Thanks," she said. "I needed to do something fun like that. It's been a while."

"Anytime," Gabriel lay down next to her, resting on his side. "Now to talk."

"Right." Halley jerkily nodded. Miniature Snitches and Bludgers were fluttering in her stomach. "Where do you want to start?"

Gabriel face was close. There was a blazing look on his face, and her was kissing her, and Halley was kissing him back. It was a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss, but it brought back all of the golden memories. It felt like normality. Reminding her of the sweet, stolen moments from when Hogwarts was still a home, and shared moments at the Burrow.

Halley wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers tangling in his distinctive-smelling hair. Both of Gabriel's arms were around her waist, eliminating any empty space between them. Eventually, he pulled himself back, gasping for breath. His brown eyes were darker, and his smile almost splitting his face in two. Two spots of colour appeared on his cheeks. "I do miss that," he said thickly. "And being with you in general."

Halley pushed herself up on her elbows, and adjusted her crooked glasses. "I take it that we're together again?"

"I like that," Gabriel shakily stood up and held out his hand, and Halley gratefully took it. "I guess we have some catching up to do."

"I guess we do." Halley looked at Hogwarts, almost mesmerised by its regal appearance in the mid-afternoon sunlight. She can start by becoming almost normal again with one step at a time. "Can I walk you back?"


	30. Darkness Settles

**AN: immensely bored at camp. The first line is an allusion to a famous poem. Can you guess what it is? There are also some smaller ones to other poems. **

**Also the hit count is rather high-past 6K, I know that people read this, so would you please leave a review? **

**Title: **Darkness Settles.

**Words: **754

* * *

><p><em>"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming." <em>

**-Pablo Neruda**

* * *

><p>The rest of May was the cruellest month, it was the month of things dying; the month of burying and crying and waking up from reality-driven nightmares. Sometimes Halley would dream of walking back to the forest, and instead of seeing her parents, Remus, and Sirius appearing from the Resurrection Stone, she would see her friends, demanding to know why she let them die<em>. Do you know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember nothing? <em>Then they would be joined by faceless others, and they would come closer and closer...

It was dreams like those that kept her up or forced her to wake up screaming that she was sorry. Just that moment the dream had ended abruptly, and Halley curled into a ball under her sheets, gripping at them to feel something solid under her fingertips. It felt like she was split in two: One part of her saying that it was all of her fault, and the other saying that those deaths weren't.

Logically, Halley tried to remind herself that it wasn't her fault, but that didn't stop the lost look on Georgia's face, how wretched Andromeda Tonks looked, or wherever Halley went there was a haunted feeling that someone she once knew was now dead.

Halley tossed around to find some semblance of sleep. The stilled quietness and the unfamiliarity of the room did not help, and she was regretting to choose to sleep in Beatrice's old room. It lacked the blinding shade of orange that Rory's had, and the odd smells that were from the twins'. Halley made a face into her pillow, groaning. At this rate sleep would be nothing short of impossible. She was half-sick of shadows and the feeling of falling. Why couldn't it just stop?

There was a slight creak of a door opening. A familiar voice asked as it was husky from sleep: "Hey, Halley. Are you well?"

Halley rose her head and squinted at Gabriel. She couldn't make out his expression, and his exhaustion hid any markers. "Did I woke you up?"

"I was already awake," he lied smoothly. "But you on the other hand..."

Halley slid to the side of the bed, her feet dangling near the floor. She gripped tightly on to the mattress, trying in vain to make her shaking hands stop. "Well, what do you think?" she asked wearily.

Gabriel sighed something under his breath and sat next to her. Halley saw that there were dark shadows under his eyes and a certain weariness etched to his face. She recognised the look from when she saw her reflection in a mirror. _We are all hollow men,_ she thought,_ and when we're not hollow, then we're stuffed men with grief._ "When was the last time you slept through an entire night?"

Halley raked a hand through her hair, making parts of her fringe stand up. Merlin, when was the last time...And then she remembered, it was the night when the battle was over. And Gabriel had come in to check in on her, and ended up sleeping next to her. Nights after that was when grief chose to strike. "A while," she decided on, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Gabriel shifted and pushed the rest of her fringe back. He mouthed a word of amazement. "Halley..."

"M'yeah?" she slurred.

"Your scar, it's...Not gone, but..." he traced the familiar scar with his index finger. "Paler, not pink or red like it usually is."

That piqued Halley's interest, and she slowly urged herself to realise as those words sunk in. "That's an improvement," she muttered, trying to remember a time when her scar wasn't always gawked at. They sat in silence, slowly falling back to sleep. 'You can stay," Halley offered when he tried to stand back up. "You don't have to leave..."

Gabriel leaned heavily with his two hands holding onto the bedpost. He tilted his head to the side. "I snore."

Halley tugged at his hands, and he moved back to the bed with almost an aching slowness. "I've never noticed."


	31. Now and Then

**AN: Back home and ready to write more! And now I'm leaving again. **

**It's the summer, shouldn't I be vacationing? **

**I've noticed that there's been some more people following this during last month, and the view count is getting closer to 7K.**

**I can't remember which reviewer it was, but someone suggested a wedding-ish prompt. So I'm using that and my super-fluffy feelings to make this. **

**Disclaimer: **Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling.

**Title: **Then and Now

**Word Count: **910

* * *

><p><em>"Then love knew it was called love. ! And when I lifted my eyes to your name, ! suddenly your heart showed me my way."<em>

—**Pablo Neruda**

* * *

><p>"You look nervous," Hector commented. He tapped the edge of Gabriel's tie with his wand and watched it knot itself. Even after a fuzzy stag party, the smartest wizard of his age could still do basic charms without any problems. "It's perfectly normal, you know. I was so nervous at my own—"<p>

"I get it," Gabriel hastily said. He looked at his terrified reflection in the mirror of his bedroom. He looked so pale and was shaking that he thought he would actually get sick. "Maybe we should have eloped instead. Do what Georgia did and come back one day for dinner telling everyone about it?"

"Your mum would kill you, and Rory and I would be disappointed that we couldn't come to see it."

"We'd send you postcards and pictures. It'll be like you're actually there."

"Too bad, Gabriel," Hector stepped back. He spoke in a tone that provided a flashback of his mother. "The wedding's been planed, people are here, and we can only give the press so many false leads. I'll go check Halley and give you some alone time."

Gabriel nodded mutely and watched his friend leave the room. The wizard promptly collapsed on his bed, only half-minding that he was ruining his suit. I'm getting married, the thought swam around his conscious like the Giant Squid. He could remember being five and acting out with his sisters' dolls about this day. !

Looking back on that made him wince, Gabriel never knew Halley back then, only the heroine in the stories, and she positively never knew him at the age of five. Then there was that first glance at King's Cross, hurried blushes and stammered words from him, danger, a tentative friendship slowly getting stronger, and eventually romance that blossomed into this. The more he thought about it, the more of an urge it was to go grab and Halley and elope in some dingy ministry office.

The thought made him smile.

"Gabriel?" his mum knocked on the door. "Sweetie, can I come in?"

"Sure," Gabriel croaked. Mum opened the door, threw a look over her shoulder, and walked in. She sat in the chair near the bed and smoothed the front of her dress

"Ready for the big day?" she asked conversationally, as if the topic was something mundane as the weather.

"Eh..."

"Good, you are ready." Mum reached over and ruffled the hair of her only son. "My, you're all growing up so fast."

"So that's what those growth spurts meant," Gabriel said lightly. He looked down at his fingers and tangled them into a knot. "Is it weird that it feels like that I'm going to wake up from this and become the midget-y eleven-year-old all over again?"

"Have you tried waking up?"

"It doesn't seem to work."

"Good, so you know it's all real."

"Mum..."

Mum dabbed the corners of her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. "I remember when you first saw her. Halley was this messy-haired, knobby-kneed girl and you were so short, you even had this one cowlick that kept falling in front of your eyes. Oh, Gabriel, you hadn't even knew her name yet and the second you saw these green eyes of hers..."

"Yeah," Gabriel closed his eyes and looked back at that scene. He smiled. "I had no idea what I was getting into."

* * *

><p>"Hiya," he murmured, the tips of his fingers grazing the edge of her face. Gabriel wondered if she could hear his heart beating at a loud, nervous tempo.<p>

Halley gave him a wide smile. Muggle contacts took the place of her glasses, her long eyelashes casting shadows. Her hair was styled into curls for the occasion, a lock or two fell to her shoulders. Gabriel took in her happy appearance, the excitement shinning in her eyes.

_This is a little mad,_ she mouthed as a small, tufty-haired wizard began to speak.

They said their I do's, and the wizard finally raised his wand, saying, ". . . then I declare you bonded for life." Silvery stars fell down, spiralling like snowflakes.

For that brief moment Gabriel saw their lives panning out in his mind: He was ten again when he first saw her, he was eleven when she rescued him, thirteen and seeing her at the Yule Ball, fourteen when he convinced her that she not possessed, fifteen with that fated kiss, sixteen with the relief of her being alive, seventeen and saying those these words...

The years between then and now faded as they kissed for the first time as husband and wife.


	32. A Realisation of Thought

**AN: Something light, very short, and amusing. **

**I also have anther fic called Facets up, and if you enjoyed this chapter then you certainly will enjoy reading/reviewing Facets. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Realisation of Thought

**Word Count**: 227

* * *

><p><em>Always look on the bright side of life.<em>

—**Monty Python**

* * *

><p>"I had the strangest dream last night. You came home from work, and I must had fallen asleep because you told me that you were pregnant."<p>

"You don't say."

"Yeah, funny, isn't? Because I've been thinking of all the times, and I'm pretty sure that we've been careful."

"Gabriel, remember that big, scary mission that I came back from? You know, the one with the Portkey complications?"

"Of course. I was tied between cursing you into an oblivion once you got home, or having…Dear god, you're pregnant!"

"According to the three tests I took, I sure am."

"H-how are you so calm about this?"

"Don't worry, I did my share of freaking out once I got home. That's why all the chocolate is missing."

"Let me get this straight, you're pregnant, and all the chocolate in the house is now gone?"

"Yup."

"Good. You're telling Mum."

"I…I'm doing what?"


	33. Something Girly

**AN: Another something light and amusing and friendship-y.**

**Huge, huge thanks Merdarkndtwisty for reviewing every chapter. Your reviews have given me plenty ideas for the next few. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Something Girly

**Word Count**: 646

* * *

><p>"<em>A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow." <em>

—**William Shakespeare**

* * *

><p>"I think the last time we did this was the summer before our Fourth Year," Halley commented. She wiggled her toes, the cotton balls in-between them tickled, and admired the vivid shade of scarlet drying on her toenails.<p>

"I remember," Rory said, applied a cucumber over her eyelid, and leaned back onto the wall that her bed was propped next to. "Didn't I almost burned your hair to a crisp while trying to curl it?"

"Yes."

"Sorry about that. Can't promise that it won't happen again."

Halley stifled a laugh, her throat and stomach already sore from doing it so much that day. She wasn't used to laughing and smiling is much the past two months since the war was over. Rory one day decided that moping around in the shadows was enough, and wanted to use the day to make themselves feel like any other witch in Britain. They were sitting on Rory's bed, surrounded by hand-me-down makeup and sweets.

"When's Hector coming back from Australia?" Halley asked, blowing on the varnish that was on her nails. They matched her toenails, a colour that made the Gryffindor inside of her proud.

"Tomorrow," Rory sighed. Halley was sure that under the cucumbers, Rory would be wearing a dreamy expression. The homemade, oatmeal facemask she wore hid any blushing.

"You really miss him, don't you?" Halley reached for some cucumbers and took a bite out of one.

"It's going to be bloody worst when he goes to Hogwarts. No doubt he'll still be the smartest wizard of his age," the pride in her voice was very clear. "Speaking of which," Rory took a cucumber off, eyeing Halley. "Gabriel. We need to talk about my little brother."

"Oh." Halley's face turned red, her half-chewed cucumber fell sluggishly down her throat. A knot of worry formed in her stomach. What did Rory already know?

"Are you sleeping with him?"

"What? No!"

"Good. Are you together?"

Halley was about to say no, but hesitation drawled it out. She wasn't entirely sure what they were now. It was confusing with no definite answer. "I have no idea."

"So, when you do get together, and whatever happens—because even though I'm dense, I'm no idiot—just don't hurt him," Rory frowned heavily and sat up. "You got him really cut up last year with the breakup. And you know he's been waking you up with the nightmares—"

"I know," Halley blushed at the memory. The feeling of his arms encircling her as he slept was firmly etched in her mind.

"Got it," then her tone became eerily like her mum's. Except with a face covered in oatmeal and hair pulled up in curlers. "And I'm not entirely blind about what happens in this house. You're my best mate and he's my only brother. You two together are easier to read than a Quidditch game. He really cares about you."

"Oh…that obvious?" Halley croaked.

Rory quirked an eyebrow, bemused. "He put his elbow in the butter-dish this morning."

Halley had no idea what to say after that. "So," her voice wavered. "Aren't you breaking some sisterly code involving this conversation?"

"So? You broke it first by snogging him in the Gryffindor Common Room."


	34. Simplicity

**AN: I have just finished _Hallowed_ by Cynthia Hand, and now I have all of these fluffy feelings. I will use that power to write this. **

**Thanks to RandomFandom5 and Merdarkandtwisty for leaving reviews. I am very happy with getting closer to 100. **

**Another thanks to Merdarkandtwisty for giving me the idea. This is after chapter 24.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Simplicity

**Word Count**: 495

* * *

><p><em>Under the greenwood tree<em>

_Who loves to lie with me._

—**William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, Sc. V**

* * *

><p>"Aw, they're so cute."<p>

"Are you sure that we can't tease them?"

"Hang on, I think they're waking up."

Halley was slowly roused awake, confused. The knots in the swing dug into her side, Gabriel's arm was trapped under her, and her back pressed up against his chest. It took Halley a few seconds to realise that it was late, and she was surrounded by the blurry-looking Weasley family.

"Here," someone handed Halley her glasses. She put them on and saw that Mrs Weasley was holding a chocolate cake. Everyone else was holding a wrapped parcel of some kind.

Halley meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to her mouth, and what she said instead was, "Wow."

"You honestly thought we would forget?" Rory said, placing her hands on her hips.

"We almost did," Hector corrected.

"The point is that we're celebrating now," intervened Mr Weasley. He looked past Halley and at Gabriel who was still asleep, snoring lightly. He smiled "Oh, dear. Someone better wake him."

* * *

><p>"How come I wasn't told of this surprise party?" Gabriel grumbled later. 'Happy Birthday' was sung, presents were opened, and Halley was trying to contain a squirmy Teddy in her lap. She, Gabriel, Rory, and Hector were all cramped, sitting in the hammock, and eating large slices of the cake.<p>

"It's a surprise," Hector clarified. He still sported an impressive sunburn from his time in Australia. "And you two," he waved his fork at Halley and Gabriel, "Have been stuck at the hip for the past few weeks."

"So?" Halley held Teddy up to face her friend, using the powers of a cute baby. Teddy cooed at being lifted up in the air. "He wouldn't have told me."

Gabriel opened his mouth to speak, but his sister spoke first. "'e 'old," said Rory through a mouthful of chocolate. "'ad it 'ecrets." She took an enormous swallow, speaking clearly. "Wow, I'm impressed that this old thing can hold us all up."

There was a sudden, sharp crack.

"Now you did it," Hector gave his girlfriend a look.

Another crack, and the tree's limbs shook.

Everyone looked up, and then at the sailer's knots that kept the hammock up.

Gabriel stated the obvious. "We should probably get off this."


	35. Playing Pretend

**AN: Fluff, fluff, and you guess it—more fluff. Because I somehow got five reviews for that one chapter, I wrote this (and why do I have a love for the ****hammock chapters?).**

**Merdarkandtwisty (thanks!)**

**Bri P (eventually those two chapters will happen)**

**SnowAngel116 (I'm also very glad) **

**RandomFandom5 (the awesome will always continue)**

**And...Evangeline the Gothic Angel (don't stop. Got it. Don't ****worry)**

**Please keep the reviews coming.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Playing Pretend

**Word Count**: 479

* * *

><p><em>I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.<em>

_I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;_

_So I love you because I know no other way…_

—**Pablo Neruda**

* * *

><p>"Is it just me, or are we always out here?" Halley asked one day.<p>

It was one of those late summer days that had an edge of autumn. It was an unexpected chill that came near the evening, and it made Gabriel very much appreciate the intimate contact that kept happening.

"What do you mean?" He licked some chocolate off his thumb from the biscuit hat he previously had. Chocolate, he decided on, with Halley in the hammock was becoming a favourite combination of his.

Halley was relaxing on top of him, the side of her head pressed to his chest, and a large blanket covering them both. Her glasses were safely tucked away in one of her shoes. "Just this," she said. "You. Me. The hammock."

"What's so wrong with that?" Gabriel asked softly. He watched her face for any expressions.

Her forehead crinkled, and he couldn't read the look in her green eyes. "I dunno, but doesn't it seem…a little strange that we do this? We're not dating, but…"

"Doing this," he finished, "Makes it feel like that we are."

Halley sighed and brushed some of the biscuit crumbs off the blanket. "And with the sleeping arrangements."

"Oh," Gabriel fought to keep his face from turning red. The position that they were in was the same that they woke up as. It was too easy to flashback to that morning with that ridiculous smile on his face when he woke up to see her in his arms. "That."

"Where does it leave us?"

"Confuse," he said honestly, and their eyes met. Her face was close. "I wish…"

"Same," Halley whispered. She placed a hand on the side of his face, and Gabriel raised his hand to touch hers. He closed his eyes and thought back on those days when they were dating.

"Can we pretend?" he sincerely asked. "Tonight only?" The four extra words that he wanted to say couldn't leave his mouth.

She cupped his face, and his answer was a brief kiss—a light touch on the lips.


	36. All Hallow's Eve

**AN: The pregnancy stuff will come later because I must do some research. And school stars soon. Honestly, I never knew that people will be wanting to read about that when I first started writing this.**

**Interesting. Here is short thing post-pregnancy, then. Sorry, it's also sad-isj. **

**The last line Halley said is from DH Part II. **

**Disclaime**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: All Hallow's Eve

**Word Count**: 681

* * *

><p><em>'Tis the night - the night<em>

_Of the grave's delight,_

_And the warlocks are at their play;_

_Ye think that without_

_The wild winds shout,_

_But no, it is they - it is they._

**~Arthur Cleveland Coxe**

* * *

><p>It was the lack of something that woke Gabriel up. He tossed to one side and felt the other half of the bed to find where Halley should be. Oddly in the late hours of the night, she wasn't catching up on a rare moment of sleep. James had the habit of crying at a time like this, and Halley—the big marshmallow—would always be the first to respond.<p>

_I'll take over for her,_ he thought as he got out of bed and picked his robe up from the floor. _She needs the sleep more than I do. _But when he came to the nursery, Gabriel didn't see Halley comforting a whimpering James. I'm fact, what he saw Halley holding James tightly, rocking back and forth in the rocking chair. She was staring intently at the window, whispering words mostly to herself.

Halley looked like a mess. Her dark hair was in shambles, glasses gone, and her eyes ringed with shadows. She was pale, afraid of something. He didn't know why or how she was being like this.

Gabriel stepped a foot over the threshold, and her head whipped to him, one hand already at her wand. Her bloodshot eyes widened and she moved her hand away from blasting him. "What are you doing up?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

"I was…" The realisation came like a Stunning Spell, and Gabriel felt like a horrible husband. "Merlin's Saggy…It's Halloween."

Halley nodded grimly.

He inwardly swore at his own stupidity, and moved closer to his wife and child. James was only a month old and his was peacefully sleeping for a change. A line of drool left his mouth and he made little snores. His dark red hair was almost as bad as his mother's. It was so hard to imagine Halley being like that on that Halloween night, not knowing that her life would change forever with just one spell.

Gabriel knelt down on a knee and rubbed small circles on Halley's back, trying to sooth her. "Nothing is going to happen, love. You know that. There's no prophecy, no Dark Lords, James has a happy future in front of him."

She leaned against his chest, and looked at their son with a soft, unreadable expression. "I don't want anything to happen. I only want to make sure…" her eyes flickered back to the window, watching for any sign of evil that threatened to enter their home.

He brushed some of her fringe back and almost couldn't see the lighting bolt scar. He moved his hand to James and did the same. The skin was blissfully clear. Halley watched him with silent eyes.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Halley nodded. She stood up and held her wand out. The rocking chair shivered and expanded into a small couch. Gabriel stood up, winced at the popping sounds his back made, and then folded into the comfy furniture. Halley curled up next to him, and James began to mewl. Gabriel encircled his arms around the people that he loved the most and held them close.

"James, you are so loved," Halley whispered to the baby. She kissed his forehead. "Mama loves you. Dada loves you."

When morning came, James forehead was still free from scars.


	37. Words

**AN: Dramatic drum roll, please for no reason whatsoever.**

**Winter!Fluff because…well, just because.**

**Thanks to those who left reviews. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Words

**Word Count**: 806

* * *

><p>"<em>Love is just love, it can never be explained."<em>

—**Unknown**

* * *

><p>"You're a bloody show off," Halley remarked dryly.<p>

Gabriel proved that fact even more by ice-skating backwards. On one foot. Halley watched him as she sat near the icy banks of the Black Lake. She gave her own skates a tentative look wondering if she will be ever able to do that.

"Come on!" he urged, and came up near her. Her boyfriend held out his hand. "Please, Halley."

Halley untucked her knees and gave Gabriel a grudging smile. "If I fall through the ice—"

"Then at least you know how to swim." He helped her stand up on her skates, holding her apart by the arms. Halley wobbled back and forth, her face going pale. "Just follow my lead."

"This is going to end so badly."

"Don't be such a pessimistic about it," he chided. Then Gabriel started to slowly move. He guided her by placing one hand over her back and the other holding her hand. "Just think of this like dancing."

"I don't like dancing," Halley said. She swore as she stumbled and almost made them both fall on the hard ice. "Bloody hell!"

"Here," Gabriel let go of her waist and Halley made fumbled moves to stand on her own. She tugged on his arm, using both of her hands to put his arm into a death grip. "Gah! I need that limb!"

"Well, if this doesn't work out, then we'll have to get you a wooden one."

"How comforting," then he made Halley spin. She yelped and she collided face-first into his chest. "See? It's just like dancing."

She glared at him, her glasses hanging low on her nose. "If you weren't cute…"

"Thank Merlin that I am," he gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "In no time you'll be skating like a pro."

Halley smiled sweetly and pushed him into a snow bank. Gabriel shouted something obscene and brought her down with him. The breath was knocked out of him and he could feel a bruise on his head blossom where Halley's head hit him squarely on the forehead. Snow had gotten down his jacket, creating a juxtaposition of the cold on his back and the warmth Halley provided on his front.

Her eyes were squeezed tight, a lump forming on her head. "Okay, so that wasn't a part of the dance."

"If I didn't love you…"

There was a strangled moan from Halley. She opened her eyes and stared at him. Her face was either bright red from the cold or the blush. "You…love…me?"

"Oh," Gabriel felt his ears tuning pink, his voice more high-pitched. "Did I say that out loud?"

Halley propped herself up on his chest. "Yes. You did."

He covered his face with his gloved hands, groaning again. "You weren't suppose to hear that."

She peeled his fingers away, peering. "Then what was I suppose to hear?"

The words burned in his throat. He looked at Halley with an emotion that he knew with every fiber of being was called. He just couldn't say it. Well, one try wouldn't hurt. "I-I lo…" the words died and he gulped.

Halley played with the frayed threads on the gloves. She licked her chapped lips and pressed her mouth near his ear. "I love you, too."

Gabriel lost the power of speech for a moment, so he kissed her, and poured in those three words. He threaded her fingers in her hair, pulling the woolen-knit hat off. He cupped the back of her head, still attempting to say those words. "I l-l-lo—dammit! This is going to take me a while, isn't?"

Halley got off him and charmed her skates into boots. She extended her hand and helped him up. "Just a little."

Gabriel shook his numb legs, trying to regain some feeling. "I'm going to keep trying," he told her. And handed her back her hat.

Halley put it back on and gave him a soft kiss. "Take all the time you need."

"But I want to say it," he said. "I want to say that I…" he settled for the alternative. "That I really, really, _really_ like you. Why can't I say it? I did it perfectly well by accident!"

"Make sure to slip up when I'm around."

Gabriel threw an arm over her shoulders, and hugged her. "Guess I will."


	38. Laughter

**AN: Super fluff! **

**But this could all be because that school will be starting soon. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Laughter

**Word Count**: 787

* * *

><p><em>In a great romance, each person basically plays a part that the other really likes<em>

—**Elizabeth Ashely**

* * *

><p>It was oddly hot that autumn. The sweltering heat made many students roll their sleeves up, leave the thick stockings behind, and apply so many Cooling Charms that it made many movement sluggish. Thankfully, the weekend meant that no one would suffer during classes. It caused many to either retreat to the underground rooms at Hogwarts, to go for a swim in the lake, or to go to the shops at Hogsmead that had much better and advanced Cooling Charms.<p>

Gabriel was waiting inside of the Three Broomsticks, waiting for a certain witch with a hero complex. He fiddled with the bottle cap of his Butterbeer, keeping him from looking at the door at every few seconds. He was so fixated on trying to make it spin on its own that he almost jumped as Halley pecked his cheek.

"Are you trying to make it perform a few tricks?" she joked, sliding up next to him in the booth seat. The heat had cause her skin to flush, and her bangs to stick to her forehead.

"I'm trying to make it sing and dance," Gabriel joked. He looked around the pub and saw that people were openly staring at them. The prickling feeling of being watched was not bringing back any fond memories. "Want to go for a walk?"

Halley smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Where to?"

They ended up at their old spot under a tree. It wasn't that far off from the Black Lake, but partly shielded by large, grassy slopes. It was the ideal place for privacy and for a good, private snog.

Gabriel kissed her fully on the mouth, a hand sliding over her back. Halley wound her arms around his neck, and her fingers curling at the nap of his hair. It soon took him by complete surprise when she manoeuvred to his lap. He broke off the kiss, shocked. "Did the heat made you mental?"

"I haven't seen you in almost a month," Halley said. "It's really not the same with letters."

"You're also wearing a skirt." Wearing something other than robes, muggle jeans, or the uniform option of trousers was what made up of her wardrobe. Gabriel only saw her wearing a dress a handful of times.

"It's the only thing light enough for this bloody weather," Halley made a face. "It feels weird." Gabriel tilted his head, his mouth feeling partly dry. Her knees knocked his, the skin looked even paler in the bright sun. He wasn't used to seeing so much bare skin.

"And now you're ogling," Halley remarked.

"Just a little," Gabriel ran a thumb over a cheekbone and peppered her face with kisses. "I think I'll get used to it." She laughed and he moved his mouth to her neck.

"N-no fair! Y-you know I'm—" she laughed again as he proceeded to touch the sensitive skin. Gabriel inwardly smiled at making her laugh, and it wasn't often that she would. And he always loved hearing it.

"Is the big, scary Auror afraid of being tickled?" He moved his hands to her midsection, just moving enough to make her snort. Halley gasped and then pushed him to the ground with a surprising amount of strength.

She pressed her hands to his chest, almost straddling his waist, and a victorious smile on her face. "No more than her boyfriend is."

"Is there any way that I can get myself out of this?"

"Nope."

Gabriel tried to get the blood to rush back to his head. "Halley, you're torturing me. You know that?" She pressed her mouth down on his and gave him a slow, lingering kiss. With that, then impressive heat, and the feel of her lithe body made it harder to stay in some control. And if felt good. Really, really good.

He let out a moan. Halley then ended the kiss, her face was very pink, and her words came out in small pants. "Too fast?"

Gabriel managed an intelligent 'urgh' and an 'eh'.

"Is that how you're going to pass your NEWT's, then?"

He nodded.

"Did I also made you lose the ability to talk?"

"Depends," he croaked, sitting up. "I heard another rumour that you got a tattoo of a Hungarian Horntail. Is it true?"

Halley laughed.


	39. Nightmares

**AN: Thanks to Merdarkandtwisty, EM, and RandomFandom5 for reviewing.**

**For those that are curious, other fics that I wrote are like this are Dawn is Bright, One Step Closer, and Facets. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Nightmares

**Word Count**: 639

* * *

><p><em>Their words mostly noises<em>

_Ghosts with just voices_

_Your words in my memory_

_Are like music to me_

**- Set Fire to the Third Bar, Snow Patrol**

* * *

><p>She was trapped. Halley clawed her way upwards at whatever was keeping her down. It felt like something heavy was being compressed on her chest, preventing her from breathing properly. Her senses were dulling, she couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel…Then the cold came, and every worst fear came blossoming in her mind.<p>

_Wand! _Halley desperately thought. It was the only thing preventing the images of the people she cared about dead or dying. _I need my wand._

Someone shouted her name, and the next thing Halley knew that she was awake and had her wand out. Their room was cloaked with thick shadows distorting images with her bad eyesight. A small light was glowing from the tip of her wand, but it didn't make anything better. The duvet was tossed to the side, and one foot was already on the floor.

"Halley?" Gabriel's voice was hoarse. One of his hands trailed along her arm and took her wand from her tight grip. His other hand was fanned over her hip. "I'm here. I'm here. You had a nightmare."

She tried to calm her breathing down, but she couldn't get her words to leave her mouth—only chocked sobs came out. Her latest field mission was burned in her mind. Halley could almost feel the Dementor's frigid, bony fingers digging into her skin…

"Tell me what's wrong?" he asked. "What can I do?"

"I-I'm f-i-i-ne," Halley stuttered, attempting to get away from the nightmares.

Gabriel nuzzled her neck, coaxing her back to bed. The simple acts of touch were able to make the stuttering and half-sobs go away. "You're not. Please, tell me what I can do."

"I want the nightmares gone," she rasped. "I want them to go away."

"Was the mission that bad?" Gabriel rested his head on her shoulder, making his red hair on the edge of her blurry version. Halley nodded, her fingers curling tightly into the bedspread. "Okay, and when is your appointment with the Mind Healer?" She held two fingers up.

Appointments with a Mind Healer were compulsory after every Auror field mission. At first, Halley found them to be annoying and unnecessary, but later on she was finding them to be very useful with the healing process.

Gabriel pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Halley shook her head.

"Halley…"

"Dementors," her voice was flat. "There were so many Dementors."

He encircled his arms around her, their finger enlacing together. "I hate those bastards," he cursed. "Think of something happy."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can." Gabriel kissed her. "Voldemort and most of his Death Eaters are gone. Things are getting better now. I love you, Halley. Remember that I will always love you."

Halley closed her eyes and focused on a practice that was similar to Occlumency; emptying her mind, but filling it with happy memories. A series of images as if they were on a muggle film reel went through her mind: Sharing sweets with Rory on the train, the three of the, taking down the Mountain Troll, a young Gabriel peaking shyly at her… The constant stream of happy memories caused the feeling of cold despair to go away. "Love you, too."


	40. For a Moment

**AN: Double-posting in one day. Nice. I'm on a roll!**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: For a Moment

**Word Count**: 624

* * *

><p><em>Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.<em>

**- Jean Anouilh**

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday," Halley said behind him.<p>

Gabriel jumped and turned around to see Halley sitting on the kitchen counter. His mouth went a little dry at seeing her Harpies shirt. She gave him a wave. "Do you enjoy scaring me?" he asked.

"Maybe," she stretched her legs out and dangled them from the counter. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I'm a Weasley, so I'm hungry," he said. He reached for a bag of chocolate in the cabinet and popped one on his mouth. "Do you want one?"

"Thanks, but I'm good." Halley watched him curiously. "Are you officially seventeen now?"

Gabriel looked up at the clock. He absentmindedly rolled a chocolate ball between his fingers. "In another two minutes." There was some uncomfortable silence. It had only been last week when they decided to give each other more space, and frankly, he wasn't enjoying it that much. He missed being with her, he missed being her friend, but most of all he wanted to have their relationship back.

Halley got off the counter and walked up to him. There was something about the way she was looking at him with her green eyes. "You have chocolate on your face."

"Where?"

She stood on the tips of her toes, her hands resting on his shoulders, and lightly kissed him on the mouth. "Here. Happy birthday," she whispered, and kissed him again. Gabriel snaked an arm around her, pulling her in closer. It was like the past year didn't exist at all and they were back to being together again.

It was too easy to get lost in that blissful daze. All of those months with toeing the line had left him craving for her touch. Deepening the kiss, he almost couldn't hear the soft moan from the back of her throat. He left a trail of kisses down her neck, wanting to hear more of that sound…

"Gabriel," Halley said breathlessly. "Stop for a second."

Her voice broke through the daze, and Gabriel was suddenly aware of their positions. He had Halley pinned to the counter, both of her hands clutching at the front of his shirt, and the calf of her foot brushing against his leg. Her green eyes were very dark, and her normally pale face rivalling the red of his hair. She let go of his shirt and withdrew her foot.

"I…uh…" Gabriel groped for the right words to say. There probably wasn't much about the aftermath of snogging an ex-girlfriend who broke it off the save the world. Maybe less if the they got off several times after the breakup. Of course, there were three words that he wanted to say, but he had the feeling that would ruin everything.

Halley seemed to have the same problem about finding words. She refused to meet his eyes once she found them. "That was unexpected. I originally was going to peck you on the cheek, but…"

Right. A peck on the cheek. Gabriel took a few steps back. "Back to being awkward mates, I take it?"

"I suppose so," she look like she might say something more, but settled for that. She turned away and went for the stairs.

"Hey, Halley?" she stopped and looked at him. An odd expression flickered over her face. Gabriel cursed at himself for even speaking, nothing he could say would change anything. "Never mind. G'night."


	41. Back Again

**AN: This is something more bittersweet. Thanks to Merdarkandtwisty for leaving a review. Don't worry, that'll be up next. :-)**

**An episode of Buffy briefly inspired this, and an allusion to Little0Bird's Making Mistakes.**

**And back to the hammock! **

**Why do I love the hammock scenes do much, anyway?**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Back Again

**Word Count**: 1K

* * *

><p><em>If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.<em>

— **A. A. Milne**

* * *

><p>Halley thought that this was the weirdest dream. She was back at the hammock that was on the Burrow's land. She was wearing a Puddlemere jersey that shouldn't be able to fit her still, and her favourite pair of jeans that should be long gone. She looked down at her hands to see that they were young and scar-free. The only things missing were her rings.<p>

The trees above cast shadows on that spring day, and everything was perfect. It was just one of those days that couldn't be described properly without ruining the beauty of it. It triggered a hazy memory of King's Cross, and she immediately knew that she was in a similar scenario.

"Admiring something?" someone asked. Halley almost jumped out of her skin at seeing her deceased husband sitting across from her. Gabriel looked as though he hadn't aged a day over twenty, but the more Halley focused on him, the more he seemed to shift through different ages. "Is this the greeting I get?"

"You're dead."

"No, really?" he examined his arms while speaking with a thick layer of sarcasm. "And here I thought the lack of wrinkles would say differently."

"Am I dead?" Halley asked.

"Yes. No. Kind of." Gabriel peered at her shyly. A lock of his vermilion hair fell in front of his eye. "The closer you get to…the easier it gets for me to visit you in your dreams."

Halley leaned back, eyes closed. "I'm dying."

"Just a little." He pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand, then her wedding band and engagement ring appeared. "Wicked trick, isn't?"

Halley smiled at the distraction and put them on. "Are you controlling everything here?"

Suddenly, the hammock vanished and they were walking along the beach that the they spent their honeymoon at. The hot sand dug into her skin, the sun was starting to fall beneath the azure waters, and it held the same tranquility from the hammock.

She looked down to see what she was wearing and scowled at what could be seen under the thin coverup. A bikini?"

"What?" Gabriel came up from behind her. He was wearing swimming trunks and a loose, white shirt. His face was completely innocent. With that and his boyish grin, he looked younger—more like a teenager. He placed his hands at her hips, whispering into her ear."If I remember correctly…"

"About the major sunburn you got?" Halley retorted. She could easily remember seeing him bright red from the waist up. That was the main reason why he had so little sleep during their time there.

"Na, na," Gabriel stuck his tongue out. "Bruise my ego, why don't you? So, what's been happening to you lately?"

"I was urged to go into teaching—Defence Against the Dark Arts, been doing it ever since, I think I've lost track of how many Potter-Weasley-Grangers are at Hogwarts, and it turns out I'm dying." She looked sideways at him. "How about you?"

He shrugged. "Nothing much, time feels…different. I love being able to see a lot of people again, but I really miss you."

"Then how much longer do I have left?"

A sudden wind picked up and whipped at their faces. Gabriel withdrew his hands. "All up to you now. You're in that in-between state."

"Again?" Halley sounded and felt almost bemused by this repeat of history.

"Yeah, agai…Wait, what do you mean again, Halley?" The shock added several years to his face.

"I choose to come back, you know that. Right?"

"Obviously," Gabriel resumed his younger age. "Do you want to take a look around before you make your decision?"

Halley leaned against his side. He put an arm around her shoulders. At the corner of her eye, she saw that Gabriel was wearing his wedding band. They continued to walk aside the seashore in silence. Halley inwardly smiled like a fool at their touches, the scent of his shampoo, and being able to hear his heartbeat again. The ten years without him felt even longer.

"Would you do it all over again?" she asked quietly.

"As long if I'm still friends with Hector, Nellie, and Luce; my family's the same, and fall in love with you, I'll do it in a heartbeat."

"Would you do anything differently?"

"Would you?"

"Answering a question with a question," Halley smiled. "You have no idea on how much I miss you and the others. It gets lonely."

"Those many great-grandkids aren't enough for you?"

"You know what I mean, Gabriel. I'm the last one from our generation."

"I can wait."

"You've waited enough."

They stopped walking and looked at each other straight in the eye. "Do you remember what the engraving is on your wedding ring?"

Halley twisted the said ring in her finger. "'Love's a guiding star'."

"A few months before," Gabriel explained, "Hector gave me this poetry book about by this muggle playwright. There was this one sonnet that reminded me of us. Went on about how love is no time's fool, that a relationship built on trust and understanding is strong, and how it can survive any crisis.

"It's a guiding force," he went on. "And I know what we have is strong enough to last. You'll always be worth the wait. Okay, how cheesy was that last line?"

"No more than your proposal was," Halley said. "After spending so much of my life with you, Rory, and Hector, it makes it harder to live alone. I thought taking that job would solve it."

"We're still with you no matter what."

"I know that." The scenery around them changed, and they were back in the hammock. Halley was curled into his side, and a gentle breeze went over them as the hammock swayed. "Do you remember how that sonnet goes?"

Gabriel stroked her hair, sighing. "Only parts of it," he admitted. He closed his eyes. _'Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks /Within his bending sickle's compass come:/Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, /But bears it out even to the edge of doom…'_"

And Halley fell asleep right next to him.


	42. Other Infinities

**AN: Thanks to Merdarkandtwisty for the idea. **

**Anyway, this fic won't be finished for a while, but I already figured out how to end it. Plotting is strange that way, very strange.**

**I'm also in a TFiOS mood, so there are some references here. :-D**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Other Infinities

**Word Count**: 955

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><p>"<em>Some infinities are bigger than other infinities" <em>

— **The Fault in Our Stars, John Green**

"_I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly and then all at once"_

— **The Fault in Our Stars, John Green**

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><p>Molly always loved sunny days. There was something about the sunshine everywhere that could uplift her spirit no matter what. That was until Felicity's funeral happened. Now the sun felt like an enemy, making everything harder to see through teary eyes. She could only stare at the tombstone until her eyes would burn, but that would feel nothing to the pain that she already felt.<p>

Her baby was gone, and Molly would never see Felicity again. No more seeing the twins creating some horrendous concoction. No more hearing the loud explosions from their room…Molly's mind flashed back to seeing the boggart back in Grimmauld Place. Her worst fear was seeing her loved ones dead—and when she saw the twins' bodies, she couldn't picture them apart in even death.

Arthur placed a hand on her back. "Molly, everyone's leaving." He helped her stand up, and she gratefully squeezed his hand. Standing up, Molly never realised how many people came. There were students from Hogwarts, several teachers, Verity Collins from the shop, extended family, and close friends. She almost laughed at seeing the lurid coloured robes that many were wearing. She covered her mouth with a hand to stop the floodgate of tears and mad laughter.

Arthur looked at her oddly, and then saw the robes. He also never noticed them until now. Then he smiled, something that Molly hadn't seen in months.

Once they got back to the Burrow, Molly immediately fixed them both a pot of piping hot tea. They sat in silence, exhaustion and worn-out grief covering everything. "Did you saw Rory with Hector?" he asked with a tired smile.

"I did," she said, taking another sip of the tea. Even though the sorrowful haze, she did see her youngest daughter and the Gentleman of Gryffindor sharing sweet gazes. "F-felicity won the bet."

"She would," Arthur put his cup down and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Only she would see that a war could bring those two together."

"Where is everyone?" Molly couldn't remember hearing their house sound so quiet, even when school was in session there was always the sound of the ghoul rattling the pipes.

"All down for a kip, I suppose," Arthur looked up at the ceiling.

"I'll go check up on them," she stood up and he held onto her elbow.

"Want me to get some more tea ready?"

Molly bent over and gave him a kiss. "You're wonderful."

* * *

><p><em>They're so cute together,<em> Molly thought. Rory and Hector were snuggling on the bed, their backs propped up on the wall, one of the family's photo albums spread over their laps. Molly set the tea-tray down and used her wand to separate the two. Hector was now on the cot, murmuring her daughter's name, and Rory was holding her pillow while saying Hector's through her soft snores.

Molly left two cups of tea on the dresser with a Warming Charm on them. Then she continued to the next room. She paused at Gabriel's door when she heard voices.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," her only son kept repeating. Molly's heart clenched at hearing him.

Someone hushed him. "I'm here, it's okay to cry." That caught her attention. What was Halley doing in his room? Molly moved slightly to see what was inside, and she almost dropped her tray.

Halley and Gabriel were sharing an embrace, her arms around his neck and his hands tangled in her hair. Molly's eyed widened at the scene. She knew that Gabriel used to have a crush on her years ago, but she never thought…"Oh, my."

The two broke apart, shocked. "Mum!" Gabriel's voice was high-pitched. "You…brought tea." Halley looked as though she was trying to fade away from their sight.

"When did this start?" Molly asked briskly.

Gabriel looked at Halley, and she looked at him. "It was a slip-up," Halley looked away, speaking more to herself. "Just happened."

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. A pained look crossed over his face. "Just happened."

Molly blinked. She didn't believed them both, but the truth will come once they want to talk about it. "I'll leave some tea over—"

"Don't worry," Halley interrupted. She stood up. "I'm going back to my room anyway." Molly handed her a cup of tea, and the younger girl gave her a pained smile. Gabriel watched her leave and pulled the duvet over him once the sound of her footsteps faded away.

She moved to sit on his bed and smoothed his hair down like she did when he was younger. What she saw was clear as day, and she wished the those two would get a happy ending. "Do you want to tell me anything?"

"I'm okay," he covered his face with a pillow. "I'm okay, Mum."

"If you say so," she put his cup of cold tea on his bedside table and charmed it warm again. "Sleep well, sweetie."


	43. Amusing Truths

**AN: Now for something more cheerful and cute. And short. **

**The next one may come during the weekend, but that would depend on the homework that I get because school starts tomorrow. Or I can try to write another ****today...**

**Remember, I also take prompts. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Amusing Truths

**Word Count**: 620

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><p><em>Ironically, in today's marketplace successful nonfiction has to be unbelievable, while successful fiction must be believable.<em>

—**Jerry Jenkins**

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><p>Kenneth Wiltshire wasn't sure on what to make of the newest Chaser for Puddlemere. The kid was tall, for one thing. He had excellent aim when about hits to the stomach. And a Weasley who was rumoured to be dating the Girl-Who-Lived. Of course, Kenneth didn't believe that, and Weasley'd been keeping his mouth shut about his dating life.<p>

He and Barry Carmen thought it would be great to get to know their teammate through a few pints at the Leaky. After all, they were both Chasers, and it wouldn't hurt ti give the bloke a few tips about the professional league.

"The thing is that—" Kenneth was about to give some important pointers about ignored the press when Barry interrupted

The thicker man pointed at a bird up front talking to the barman. "Think she'll say yes?"

"No," Kenneth said automatically. "No way." He could only see the back of her, and it was rather easy on the eye. Maybe he'll go up to her and introduce himself, hopefully she'll also be impressed with his Quidditch status.

Weasley studied the girl. "Neither of you have a chance."

Did this meant that Red wasn't dating Potter? Ha, Kenneth knew better than to trust the _Prophet_—they haven't had proper gossip in ages. That would also discredit the rumour that Weasley got the Chaser spot because of her.

"Okay, red," he said almost teasingly. "Let's see if you do have one. And you need proof within five minutes."

Barry glowered at his friend for ruining his chance.

"That'll do." Weasley stood up, smoothed back his hair, and walked to the girl with a confident gait. Kenneth and Barry couldn't hear the conversation—or what the girl looked like. But according to the suave look on Weasley's face, things were going fine.

"Think he can?" Barry asked in a disgruntled fashion. He took a long drag out of his Gillywater.

Kenneth snorted. "To be sure…" The words immediately died when Weasley came over to them with the girl. She barely came up to his shoulder, wore Auror robes, and Kenneth knew for a fact that her messy fringe covered her scar.

Bloody hell! They got Red to charm Potter of all people!

"Boys," Weasley greeted. He didn't even bother to hide the smile on his face. "I would like you to meet my girlfriend. Halley, these are the other Chasers that I work with. They were giving me some tips."

Halley freaking Potter watched their silence with obvious amusement. "Nice to see more of the team."

Barry made a gurgling noise.

"Thanks for the talk." Red threw an arm around his girl's shoulders. "But I think we'll be heading home now. See you tomorrow at practice!" They left, leaving Kenneth and Barry contemplating about what just happened.

"Weasley's with Potter," Kenneth rubbed his eyes. "Merlin, it's true."

"Bollocks," Barry said. "Imagine if you sent me up there! She's an Auror, she would probably turn me into a newt if I chatted her up!"

"You know what, then?"

"What?"

"He's going to do just fine on the team."


	44. Waking Up

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! This happen before chapter 40. **

**Okay, so this could be the start of waiting until the weekend. Or possibly a bit longer.**

**I would also love some prompts, please.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Waking Up

**Word Count**: 617

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><p>"<em>But I believe in true love, you know? I don't believe that everybody gets to keep their eyes or not get sick or whatever, but everybody should have true love, and it should last at least as long as your life does." <em>

—**The Fault in Our Stars, John Green**

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><p>Waking up with Halley in his arms was hard to comprehend at first. Gabriel didn't want to move in fear of ruining the moment. She was laying on top of him, her head over his heart. One of her hands was cupping his shoulder, and the other stretched out. Gabriel slowly moved his hands from her shoulder blades, but she made a soft protest.<p>

"Ne_—e_, G'brl," Halley slurred. He was surprised that he could understand her though the sleepy mumbles. The hand at his shoulder twitched. "No leave."

"I won't," Gabriel promised. His eyes strayed over her face. She looked so different when she was asleep. Her eyes were closed, hiding the worried light. Her face much more relaxed, and she had that funny half-smile. He briefly thought about kissing her awake like that muggle fairy tale about the daft princess with the spinning wheel.

As nice as it was to be living out some part of a dream, he knew that Halley couldn't stay in his bed forever. Halley already went back to sleep, and Gabriel had a feeling that waking up someone who hadn't been sleeping well the last few months was a bad idea.

Gabriel so very slowly shifted to one side, his arms guiding her with him. Once he was leaning on his side, he let go of Halley, and letting her have most of the bed (because she was that type to use up most of the space). She unconsciously moved to her back, stirring. Gabriel saw flashes of her green eyes. Her stretched out arm slunk back, moving over his face. He caught her hand before it vanished beneath the covers and kissed her thumb.

"Halley?"

"Urgh?"'

"You can still sleep," he whispered. "But I'm going to get us some toast. Groan once that you understand, and twice for confused."

She groaned three times.

"Fine," he carefully peeled the covers off his side and reached for his robe. Slipping it on, he said, "I'll only get some for myself."

Halley said some more incoherent words and drifted back to sleep.

After that was done, Gabriel slipped back into his room. He pulled the duvet and covers back to see Halley using up every inch of his bed. He sighed and pushed her arms away, but then they went back to using up even more space. Gabriel tried that with her legs, but every attempt after that proved to be futile.

Wanting to go back to sleep, he pressed his knee into the mattress, slid both hands underneath Halley's back, and raised her up in the air. The shock woke her up, causing her arms and legs to move. Using that as a distraction, Gabriel quickly used the free space as his own. He yanked the duvet back over them and smiled.

"What was that for?" she hissed, now fully awake.

"You hog everything in this bed. And, Halley?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have my pillow back? I think you took it again."


	45. Hearth and Home

**AN: Thanks to Merdarkandtwisty and RandomFandom5 for leaving reviews. Since school started, my creativity juices have been drained. Seriously, I've been trying to write a chapter for days. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Hearth and Home

**Word Count**: 863

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><p><em>Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.<em>

—**Robert Frost**

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><p>Gabriel snuck quietly into his son's room to kiss him goodnight. It was late, nearing midnight, and that was because the Falcons vs Harpies match decided to use their game time to let all of their grudges shine. It wasn't pretty, and many parents had to leave with their children because of the downright dirty plays and vicious swearing. He didn't blame them, what started off as a fun match went into a bloodbath.<p>

Jimmy was in his 'big boy' bed, a stuffed dog standing guard over his head. Gabriel smiled and placed the beloved toy next to him. Jimmy let out a snore to rival his Aunt's and turned over. _He's getting so big,_ Gabriel thought. He also noted that Jimmy's pyjamas were already showing too much ankle. _I don't think that he's going to stop growing anytime soon. _

Gabriel knelt over and kissed the boy on his forehead. "Sleep well," he murmured.

In Al's room it was a different story. Little Albie was afraid to be sleeping in his own 'big boy' bed. He would convince any adult in the house to stay with him and read a story until he would fall asleep. Al only had to bat his eyelashes and give the poor sod a glimpse of his green eyes, and they would agree.

He was fast asleep, most of the sheets were already wrapped around him like a mummy. Halley was also asleep. Sitting in a rocking chair next to the bed, her head was down, and an opened book in her lap. It was tempting for Gabriel to grab the camera downstairs and to take a picture of this. There was a certain sense of cuteness that the scene held of a mother and son like that.

After kissing Al, he then wondered what to do with Halley. He couldn't exactly leave her in the chair; the last time that happened she was complaining for days about her back and neck. The only option he could think of was to carry her (levitating a sleeping Auror often had bad side-effects—like getting hit over the head).

Gabriel rubbed his hands together and then gently pried Halley from the chair, which wasn't easy from the constant rocking. Somehow he managed to get her in his arms, one of his arms under her legs and the other supporting her back. Her head was pressed to his chest, still asleep. She also had her arms loosely around his neck.

_Okay,_ Gabriel thought, _I can do this. She won't accidentally mistaken me for a Death Eater and try to strangle me. _

He cautiously took a few steps and slowly made his way back to their room. It wasn't that bad, to be honest. Halley was light-weighted and didn't squirmed much, she also nuzzled his neck. Gabriel never realised how tired he actually was until that moment. He spent over half the day in the cold outside, took three portkeys…Now he was finally home. His happy musing were swiftly interrupted when Halley woke up.

Being the (paranoid) Auror that she was, it did not end so well for Gabriel.

(Incidentally, that was also the reason why no own threw Halley a surprise party since the Birthday Disaster of '04)

In fact, it wasn't very pleasant to be suddenly pinned to the wall with a bruise on his head. "Hiya," he croaked as Halley realised who he was and not some sick intruder. "You've been practicing that move or something?"

She had her forearm pressed up against his chest, one hand pulled back into a fist that unfolded. Halley stopped back and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm so sorry…I thought you were…" she lightly touched the bruise on his forehead. Gabriel winced at the pain.

"It's not that bad, right?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Sorry," she said again. "I'm really, really—"

"It's okay." Gabriel interrupted. He took his wand from his pocket and healed it. The hot-cold feeling left and the bruise was gone. "See?"

Halley rubbed her eyes, yawning. "I'm too tired to comment."

"Good." He fanned the side of her face with his hand. "We'll, my day was interesting, and when I came home I was greeted by my lovely wife by being…"

She kissed him. Gabriel's hand threaded through the tangles of her dark hair, bringing her closer. "Let's go to bed. It's late," Halley said throatily.

"M'okay," he played with the strands of her hair. "Any chance I can still carry you to bed?"

"No."

"Killjoy."


	46. Finding Words

**AN: Thanks to Prime for leaving a review. And up next will have a certain baby, but can someone please explain to me what's the fascination with Halley giving birth? **

**This story is getting pretty close to 100K hits! This chapter was inspired by Little0Bird. Can you also find the Young Wizards' quote?**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Finding Words

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p>"<em>I never think of the future - it comes soon enough." <em>

—**Albert Einstein**

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><p><em>Dear Gabriel,<em>

_I've thought of two reasons why you're reading this:_

_One is that you're trying to find those paperclips and you stumbled upon this (they're in the next drawer down). _

_Two is that I'm dead. Hopefully not from work because you'll kill me. _

_That's not helping, now is it? I mean, for all I know I may die after living a lengthy life with you, the kids, and surrounded by Merlin knows how many grandchildren. And in case you are wondering, I'm revising this after Lily's birth. You're at work at the moment, and I just got all of the kids down for a nap. Lily's being tenacious at the idea. I think she's going to be a bigger handful than Teddy, Jimmy, and Al combined._

_I remember when we first met. Blimey, weren't we something? You were this shy little boy and I was this scrawny little girl. I never knew back then we would be here now. Although to be fair, I never thought much of my future back then. Even later on I never thought much of it—too much of Voldemort in the way. Then you came, we started dating, and I started to think of a future for myself. _

_Remember that time in your Fifth and my Sixth Year? We were relaxing near the lake, and we were talking about crazy job options because you had that career meeting. You joked about me becoming the Minister of Magic just to see the reactions of Malfoy, Umbridge, and the like (come to think of it, I think Trelawney predicted that)? It just felt so nice laying with my head in your lap, laughing at the crazy and ridiculous laws that we made up._

_You'll always have that effect on me, Gabriel. You can make me laugh. I love you so much for it. _

_I know that my job is dangerous, not much as it used to be, but there's still harm of losing a limb or two. Believe me, I have been trying to come home safe by not looking like Mad-Eye. When I write, I can't help but think back to that time when I ended up at St Mungo's in pretty bad shape. What was it? My first field assignment, I think. And I remember waking up to see you holding my hand. You were asleep in that chair, think it was also your first attempt at growing a beard, too. I can only remember feeling so relieved to see you. I am beyond sorry that my job makes you stay up at night, worrying about what could happen. I wish there was a way to ease that. _

_You've always been there in the corner of my eye during my time at Hogwarts. During my First and Second Year, I was having trouble comprehending at the idea of someone looking up to me, liking me, even. And when you were trapped in the Chamber was when Rory and I rushed to save you. In my Fourth Year I wouldn't mind having you asking me to the Yule Ball, at least I know now that you would make me dance and laugh—something that obviously never happened. In Fifth Year I knew that I could confide in you, and you have no idea how good it felt to be opening up like that. And I thought I was going a tad mad in my Sixth Year when I smelt your shampoo in Amortentia potion, then we kissed. To steal your poetic thunder, it felt like several sunlit days._

_You were like this fire for that year, and when I had to end things, to quote you, 'Do something noble', you were still something to help guide me back home. There was much that I wanted to tell you on my birthday, but keeping you safe was one of my biggest priorities. Those months—or was it a year?—went by like a blur. Everything went still during the Battle. I can clearly see myself walking to the Forest under my Cloak, I wasn't going to look back, and then I saw you. You were helping someone who was injured, and I think you must have sensed something. And when I faced Voldemort for the last time, you were my last thought. I was putting aside fear for courage, life for death. The next morning, my first thought was of you. And there you were sleeping right next to me, I honestly thought I was dreaming. _

_The months after that aren't exactly clear. I just remember feeling sad, the nightmares that wouldn't end, and the funerals. I couldn't cry at any of them, it was too hard. It wasn't until I was holding Teddy was when I finally broke down in tears. Things got better after that. The two of us in that hammock for most of the summer, remember those days? Tranquil's a good word to describe that time there, truly a calm after a storm. _

_I like to think that was when our lives truly began. We got married, had Jimmy, Al, and Lily, and we're living. And like all things with life, they eventually come to an end. If I did went down fighting, then my last thought will be of you again. _

_I love the life that we've built from the ashes, I love being able to wake and fall asleep next to you every day, I love seeing our children live a life without death hanging over them. _

_The words you chose for inside engravings of our rings—_love's a guiding star_—they fit. We've had guided each other through adolescence, through war, and I will always love guiding each other through the (hopefully) many years that we will share together and onto the next great adventure._

_I love you, always._

_Your wife,_

_Halley Lily Potter-Weasley_

_p.s. I just heard the door open, you're home. See you downstairs._

* * *

><p>Gabriel inhaled sharply. The words on the parchment burned in his mind. He was sitting at her desk in her office at home. He still was unable to find those damn paperclips that he only needed for some work, and he had to find this letter instead. Gabriel's finger brushed over the back of the parchment, feeling something else stuck underneath—correction, there were more pieces of parchment.<p>

He silently read those, and a knot formed in his stomach. They were orders on what to do with Halley's body in case of the inevitable. Everything that needed to be done from the financial work to the engraving on the tombstone was listed out.

Gabriel curled his hand into a fist and bit his knuckles, a habit from his childhood that only came back under times of emotional distress. Rationally, he knew that Halley was alive, but reading this stuff sent shivers down his spine. He shook his head to get rid of the images of Hagrid bringing her supposedly dead body out. That was one thing that would never go away after the war—that recurring nightmare.

Halley's hands brushed past his shoulders and laced themselves together. She grazed a kiss on his cheek and saw what he read. "Oh," she simply said.

Gabriel closed his eyes and reclined back in the chair. "You can say that."

"I was hoping that you never had to read it."

"And here I was hoping for some paperclips. Funny how things turn out." He opened one eye and saw Halley bending over to open a drawer. Inside there was a small pile of the metallic buggers. She gently took the letter and the other papers out of his hand, and put a paperclip in his palm. "Thanks."

Gabriel tilted his head back and kissed her. He pulled her into his lap, aching the touch of her to keep the old nightmare away. Halley whispered his name between embraces, one of her hands cupping the side of his face. The gold of her wedding band felt warm against his skin. He moved his hand to cover hers. "I'm not going to die anytime soon," she promised in a low voice.

"I know that," Gabriel said. "But I still get scared. You have a very different definition of danger."

Halley stretched her legs out, the top of her feet hitting the underside of the desk. He moved his hands down to her waist, holding her loosely in his arms. Breathing in her heady scent, Gabriel buried himself in the happier memories, and the darker one of the Forest faded away.


	47. Flutterby Bush

**AN: Here is the long awaited chapter that most were waiting for. **

**Thanks to those who left reviews!**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Flutterby Bush

**Word Count**: 564

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><p><em>Where do babies come from?<em>

—**Every Child Out There**

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><p>"I think Mum knows," Gabriel said quietly, sliding down to sit next to Halley on the bathroom floor. Suddenly during their weekly brunch at the Burrow Halley experienced a painful bout of morning sickness. Just when treacle tart was about to be served for dessert, she ran off to the bathroom. Then Mum gave him that <em>look<em>. A second later he made some bollocks excuse and went to go get Halley.

She cradled her head in her arms, her glasses hanging off one hand. "Good, so this means that I won't have to tell her."

"Well…" Gabriel settled for a crouch. He grabbed a tissue from the tissue box near sink as he lowered himself closer, and handed it to Halley. "Look on the bright side."

She took the tissue and blowed her nose. "What side is that?"

Deciding not to speak, he gently took her hand and placed it over her stomach with his larger hand enveloping hers. He tried to imagine what their child would look like. Maybe with his red and her enchanting green eyes? Would their child have freckles or pale skin? Messy hair or with a single cowlick? But however it may look like, there was something wonderful growing inside of her.

"We're going to be fine."

"What if—"

"We can do this," Gabriel kissed her hand. "Come on, let's go get Mum ready to knit another jumper."

When they joined everyone back in the kitchen they were greeted with silence. The only sound was of Teddy happily eating his banana pudding. Halley and Gabriel shared a quick look, realising what happened. They told Teddy about the baby the other day and asked him to keep it as a secret. They should have known better than to tell a chatty toddler to keep anything quiet.

Mum stood up and rushed over to hug them both. "Oh, I'm going to become a grandmother again! We're going to have more Weasleys in this family!"

"Mum—can't—breath."

"Molly, you're squeezing three!"

Rory looked blankly at her own banana pudding. She was like this ever since Teddy blurted that Halley might have eaten a baby. It wasn't that hard for everyone to connect the dots with the bout of sickness added to it. "What's wrong?" Hector asked her. "Aren't you happy for them?"

"Well," Rory said slowly. "Every time I try, I have to convince myself that they'll find the baby under a Flutterby bush."

"A Flutterby bush?"

"Yes." She was aware of Teddy listening to their conversation. The little guy had scooted himself closer. His hair a shade of banana yellow. "Because that's where babies come from," Rory said loudly.

Teddy's forehead wrinkled, confused. "But how does it get inside of Auntie Halley's tummy? How did she eat it?"

Rory patted his head as Hector choked on a piece of fruit. "How about you go ask them loudly, Teddy? I'm sure that they will love to answer."

He smiled at the idea.


	48. Chocolate Nights

**AN: Thanks to Drift and Musa for the prompts. Nothing like Oedipus/Sometime after Madness/Basilisks and Fairytales/- melted chocolate/- late night conversations. **

**And thanks to everyone who left reviews, added to favs, and alerts.**

**I will end this fic once I get to 100 chapters, so we're almost halfway and close to another mini-arc. I also have a poll up at the moment. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Chocolate Nights

**Word Count**: 741

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><p><em>Babies are always more trouble than you thought - and more wonderful. <em>

**~Charles Osgood**

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><p>"Ha!" Gabriel brought out the pan of melted chocolate surrounded by strawberries, and he set it on the kitchen table. He then prodded a piece of fruit with a toothpick and dipped it in the warm chocolate. "To not going mad!" He raised it in all of its sweet glory.<p>

Halley did the same. "To James for not making our hair go completely white!"

They laughed and ate their chocolate-covered strawberries. It was late into the night, and it was deemed a miracle that they got James to go to sleep after his adventurous bath. Even more so since he was still asleep hours later. It was also the most amount of time so far that they've shared together without a third person needing to be changed or constantly adored.

(Sometimes after madness with loving the baby to bits, they needed to regain some sanity in their late night conversations in the kitchen. It seemed to work so far.)

"I can't believe that worked," Gabriel said as he licked some chocolate off his thumb. "That had to be the most twisted fairytale ever."

"No more so than the Bard ones," Halley argued.

He made a face that wouldn't stay out of place in St Mungo's. "Ever since Hector did the translations, I haven't been able to look at them the same way. My childhood—ruined!"

She raised an eyebrow. "You told James a story about a Basilisk."

"And about a warrior-princess, a pauper, a Phoenix, and a wicked sword," Gabriel added. "It had all of the proper fairytale characters: Scary monster, awesome weapons, but a handsome pauper instead of a damsel in distress, and a warrior-princess instead of a knight." He dipped another strawberry in the chocolate. "Besides, have you seen what Hector's been reading to Teddy?"

"Nothing like _Oedipus_ to put a kid to sleep," Halley said dryly. She chewed on another strawberry, thinking. "What is _Oedipus_ about anyway?"

He shrugged. "Dunno, but he claims that one is never too young to know the classics. Can't be anymore bloody harmful than any fairytale story out there, I guess."

Halley chose not to comment. Instead she thought about the muggle fairytales that were more or less twisted than the wizarding ones. It still didn't stop her from reading _The Tale of the Three Brothers_ to James one night, and that didn't stop him from making a fuss until midnight.

"What story shall we tell him next?" Gabriel asked. A mischievous glint—not unlike the twins—sparked in his eyes. "How about the story of a trio of insane friends? Three barmy wizards breaking into a bank and escaping on a dragon? A—" Any more words were cut off when a strawberry was stuffed in his opened mouth.

He gingerly took it out and smacked his lips together to taste the chocolate. "So you don't want me to tell him a story about the noble witch with a hero complex?"

Halley stirred the cooling chocolate in the pan with a finger. "I prefer to hear the one about the wizard who wouldn't stop babbling. Wouldn't you?"

"Tempting, but I think I would want to finish this off first," Gabriel gestured to the pan. He charmed it warm again.

Halley hissed as her finger became encased in bubbling chocolate. She shook the hot liquid off her finger and then stuck it in her mouth. "Evil sugary goodness," she grumbled.

"Sorry, but if it helps, I think you'd be nicer in chocolate than in fruit would be," Gabriel said off-handily.

"I know where you sleep."

The half-hearted threat didn't do her much good. He only looked at her. "Can I add that in the story about the mad witch?"


	49. Rules of the Game

**AN: Mimi-arc up next. **

**Now here is something short, fluffy, and inspired from a webisode of the Vlogbrothers **

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Rules of the Game

**Word Count**: 430

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><p><em>"newborns reminded her of tiny buddhas" <em>

**― Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes**

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><p>James was a pudgy thing with dark hair, a simple spray of freckles over his nose, and brown eyes that he already used as puppy eyes. Gabriel tried to flatten the baby's cowlick, but it stubbornly stayed up, same for the rest of the Potter inherited hair. He glared at his father for even attempting such a thing.<p>

"Not my fault that you got Mum's hair," Gabriel said and lifted James up in the air. His scowl was turned into a giggling smile as Gabriel made whooshing sounds. "Going to be our little Quidditch player, aren't you?"

Gabriel was sitting up against the couch, with James in his hands and Halley taking a nap on the furniture. Her head was next to his, an arm thrown over his shoulder. He set James down, the tips of her feet grazing the carpet floor. "Do you want to try standing?" It was an ongoing attempt to make him stand, but so far the youngest Potter preferred being up in the air.

James curled his legs, making him rock back and forth. "Na, na." Then he stuck his arms upwards. "Uh!"

Gabriel leaned back and let James go 'flying' in the air. He blew a raspberry in James' stomach. "Fly, little bludger, fly!"

Halley's hand twitched over his heart. "Mhm, who says that he'll be a Beater?" she asked sleepily. She raised her head to get a better look at her two boys. "My bet is that he's going to be a Chaser."

"Why s—argh!" James had suddenly bopped him in the nose. He turned his head to glare at the laughing baby. "Fine. As long as you're going for the best position on the team."

"No," Halley interjected. "Being a Seeker is the best. You can't win the game without them."

"Well, excuse me, remember the World Cup? Krum caught the Snitch and they still lost."

"That was one time."

James swerved his head to each parent as they argued on which was the better position. He made a noise of impatience at being ignored, and the arguing stopped. He zeroed his big, brown eyes onto his parents, cooing.

"Referee?" Gabriel guessed.

"Referee," agreed Halley.


	50. Relations and Inconveniences

**AN: Arg!**

**Stupid mini-arc won't write. I blame school. **

**So maybe once Rosh Hashanah rolls around will be when it comes.**

**Thanks to the usual awesome two that leave reviews, and to those that added this to their alerts/favs. This instalment was inspired by Merdarkandtwisty. Thanks! **

**There's also a poll that needs some answers. **

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Relations and Inconveniences

**Word Count**: 754

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><p><em>I couldn't find a quote for this. Sad.<em>

**—Zadi**

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><p>It wasn't often that the Weasley family would shop in the muggle grocery in their village. Usually they would use the Floo to get to Diagon Alley, but due to the nosey and personal-bubble invading reporters they could not do that. The reporters would often be lurking nearby, unable to reach the Burrow due to the protective enchantments over it. Halley had apologised profusely for their actions, but it took two pots of tea and a family intervention to get it through her head that none of it was her fault.<p>

It didn't do her much good at first, but it was starting to ease the nightmares.

Now at the grocery, again, Gabriel was looking down in the buggy were Teddy was gawking at everything. "What do you think?" he asked, holding a can of soup in each hand. "You think your grandmum would like the one with sodium or without?"

He would be asking Halley that, but she was in another aisle and looking for the swedes that his mum desired for dinner that night. Come to think of it, the shopping experience so far would be much easier if she was helping him understand the difference between sodium and non-sodium.

There was also Hector, but the poor wizard was still dealing with jet lag and a second degree sunburn from Australia. And when he wasn't shuffling at the Burrow, he was back at home and helping his parents. More recently he was getting the Floo connection available to make the trips easier.

Teddy gurgled in response, much more interested with the ceiling lights. Gabriel sighed and looked around. Halley had to be around here somewhere, but the placement of the aisles and counters made it feel like a labyrinth.

"Excuse me," Gabriel asked an elderly muggle woman. He steered the buggy towards her, hoping that the adorable look of Teddy would help. Her wrinkled face had a sour expression, and her ill-tempered appearance reminded him of Aunt Muriel. "Have you happened to see a short woman with dark hair and—"

The woman's harrumph interrupted him mid-sentence. "Do you know what responsibility means, boy?"

Confused at the sudden turn and annoyance at being called 'boy', Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Of course I know what it means, but what does it have to do with finding…" He followed her glare that was directed at Teddy.

The inheritance from his mother was growing more powerful these days. Often at the Burrow he would sprout freckles and red highlights in his sandy hair. Now the growing boy had a shock of red hair, a sprinkle of delicate freckles, and the biggest green eyes that couldn't possibly exist.

The little bugger, Gabriel almost felt proud for Teddy at such an achievement if the woman wasn't accusing him of not being responsible.

"He's not my son," he quickly explained.

Her painted eyebrows rose up to her hairline. She was obviously not convinced. "He has your ghastly hair."

After a battle that consisted of glares and sharp words, Gabriel managed to find Halley near the aisle filled with various sweets. "Hey," she said at them, holding up a bag. "You think Rory will like these?"

"I don't know," he said, still feeling crossed that he got ripped apart in an argument by an old, cranky lady. "Do you want to ask _your_ son?"

"My son?" Halley asked slowly. She set the chocolate sweets down.

Gabriel picked Teddy up from the buggy, and the baby reached out for his godmother, unaware that he still looked like their figurative son.

Halley's eyes popped at the mixed resemblance. She brushed some of Teddy's hair behind his ear. "He's got your ears, even," she said in an awed voice.

"Can I blame the fact that Remus was a Marauder?"

At the same time a girl was walking by, she aw'ed and said: "Your son looks so cute."

Indeed they must have made the image of a family with Halley holding her godson, and Gabriel standing close with a buggy.

"Yeah," Halley croaked. "Spitting image."


	51. Beauty

**AN: Happy Friday! Thanks to those who left reviews. I'm trying present tense for kicks, which is why it is short. T rating is definitely applied. **

**Reminder: I have a poll still up. Please keep in mid if you click 'Other' if I haven't done that scene already. The fic A Step Closer has a variety of them.**

**I also still take prompts.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Beauty

**Word Count:** 500

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><p><em>"As if you were on fire from moon lives in the lining of your skin." <em>

**― Pablo Neruda**

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><p>Maybe it is cliché that he thinks she looks incredible in one of his shirts. Sitting on his bed with a Harpies t-shirt thrown over her lithe frame, legs cross, and eyes bright with laughter. The late morning sun streaming through a window, highlighting that happiness. And he just loves seeing her look like this, she looks like at time like this that the war never happened.<p>

He kisses her, a hand fluttering at the nape of her neck, and the other curling at her hip. It all reminds him of flying—the breathlessness, dizzying of the deepening joy. He is swerving and diving, holding tightly onto her. He doesn't want to let go, and neither does she.

She whispers his name into his collarbone, and then says three other words. It still affects him like it did the first time. With him fumbling the words back, and a rosy blush appearing on his face. "Love you," he says back, meeting her green eyes. Her eyelashes brushes his cheek as he captures her in another kiss. "So much…"

Her pale, scars skin is a contrast to freckles and pink of his arm, he studies. She grips his shoulders, their arms meeting up exactly. His hand is twisting in the front of his favourite shirt. The green of the fabric brings out her eyes, all dark and lush like the trees surrounding Hogwarts. The usual pallor of her skin is dusting with pink, dark hair in a disarray, and her heart beating a fast tempo under his hand. He feels sparks with every time they touch, and it goes off inside him like fireworks.

He can see a hint of the more hills and valleys of her body. He itches to explore more, to feel every inch of her skin. He lowers his head to her mouth, and her hands tangle in his hair. She feels warm and alive, all rosy pale and glint-fill eyes, her iris-smelling shampoo acting like a beacon. She is so beautiful in his eyes, pale and dark with a touch of lively green, and underneath the flesh there is a warrior built out of fire. And whenever he sees her he falls a little more for her.

"I love you," he says again.

"I know," she reaches to touch the sides of his face, a marvellous light shining in her face. "Always."


	52. Carry Your Heart

**AN: I can explain for my absence. High Holidays. School. Makeup work. Fantasy homework. And on a tangent: that awkward moment when you realise that you know people IRL that read this. **

**(God, the previous chapter…)**

**I'll be keeping the poll up until next week. I also still take prompts. And thanks to those who left reviews, added to favs and alerts. This is past 12K hits already!**  
><strong>To answer a question: I assumed that Quidditch jerseys are unisex, and that Ginny in any form would be a fan of the Harpies. <strong>

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Carry Your Heart

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>i<em> _carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) _

_i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)_

**― ee Cummings**

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><p>"It's Valentine's Day," Hector grumbled as he checked his homework planner. He shook his head, grimacing. "I wonder how many detentions I will have to pass out?"<p>

It was still strange to be sharing a room with Hector without it being the summer. It took Gabriel a week or so to get used to it. Soon the sight of his friend leaning over a stack of heavy book by his bed was becoming the new normal.

"That's a great thing to first think about in the morning," said Gabriel dryly. He knotted his tie with some difficulty. He was tired from the lack of sleep, and would love nothing more than to sleep his entire weekend away. "When do you think they will be home?"

Rory and Halley were on a mission, and both wizards were getting anxious at the lack of contact. Gabriel found himself to be reverting to an old habit from last year—writing letters to Halley that wouldn't be sent. He was doing it again because he felt almost as worried from before. He just wished that he had some way of contacting her.

"I don't know," Hector said softly. He tried not to betray any negative emotions with his tone. "Come on, why don't we go down for breakfast?"

Walking out of the common room, the two made light conversation on their way to the Great Hall. Gabriel helped himself to a platter of toast to distract him from the pink decorations that graced the room. It was vaguely familiar to the ones from his First Year, but less exaggerated. But the soft rain of glitter above was hard to get out of his jam.

"Why?" he even bothered to ask out loud. He got covered more in the stuff when a peck of owls came. He was forced to use magic to make his breakfast edible again.

"To make us happy." Nellie was sitting across from him, and fondly staring at a single red flower in her hand. She blushed and looked over her shoulder to where the Hufflepuff table was at. "What are you two doing to spend your day?"

"Studying," Hector frowned as he took a spoonful of his cereal. "NEWTS are coming up soon."

The dreaded acronym alone caused a shivered fear at the Gryffindor table. Numerous pairs of eyes turned to glare at the prefect for ruining their morning with that reminder.

"I don't know," said Gabriel. He looked up in vain to see if an owl was flying towards him, but the peck already came and left. He sighed into his toast and wondered if his girlfriend and sister were doing alright.

"Then can you pass the jam?" someone asked next to him.

Automatically, Gabriel passed the jam and almost choked on his toast. Rory was sitting next to him, a new bruise on her jawline, but in one piece. They both had a hand on the jar, waiting for him to let go.

She waved at her dumbstruck boyfriend with the other hand. "So you only wanted to study all day?"

"I believe I can change my plans," Hector smiled. He propped his chin on an upturned hand. "What do you want to do?"

Gabriel had an overwhelming urge to leave. He gave his sister an one-arm hug, the jam, and a peck on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"We just came back." She moved to sit next to Hector, her hands reaching his.

"Bloody hell, you would be amazed on how well we survived without you. Missed you loads, though. Thought I'd be going mad without the Smartest Wizard of his Age…"

Hector blushed, but looked touched at her words. "Are you okay?" His eyes swept over her bruise. "No wooden legs, right?"

"Do I look like Mad-Eye?" she scoffed. She caught her brother's nervous expression. "Halley's looking for you in the Common Room."

Not being needed to be told twice, Gabriel bid his goodbyes and ran back up. He breathlessly said the password and stumbled inside the portrait hole. He could feel her before seeing, with calloused hands helping him up and slender arms pulling him into a hug.

"Surprise," Halley said. A fresh cut was above her eyebrow and was staring to heal. The contacts that she was required to wear for work made the green behind them shine. Her mouth curled into a slow smile as she brushed some glitter of his hair. He could only stare at her, enjoying how real she felt in his arms.

Gabriel greeted her with a kiss. "You got me," he murmured. "I'm surprise to see you."

"Being an Auror helps. Stealth and Tracking was a fun class to learn from." Halley's hands knotted behind his back.

He brushed his thumb over her new injury. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged it off. "I'm better now. Honest."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll believe you for now. Do you want to go see everyone else?"

"That'll be really nice," Halley said. She dropped her arms that were around him, and held his hand.

"Walt," Gabriel said as she opened the door. He fished for something in his pocket and handed her a crumpled piece of paper. "It isn't done yet, but I wanted to give it you because it's Valentine's Day, and I love you…"

Halley opened the card and silently read his poem. He crossed his fingers, hoping that his poetry had gotten better in those six years later. She kissed him again, the homemade card brushing at his neck. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said. "I love you, too."


	53. Crossing the Bridge

**AN: Happy Fringe Friday, and thanks to those who left reviews!**

**Yom tov and such (I survived the fast. Go me!). And here's something kinda funny, chapter 48 has no reviews. Anyway, this takes after chapter 41.**

**I would also take prompts, please. **

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Crossing the Bridge

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em> …Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,<em>

_When in eternal lines to time thou growest:_

_So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,_

_So long lives this and this gives life to thee._

**― William Shakespeare**

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><p>There was an old bridge inside Godric's Hallow. The aged wood crossed over a small river that was usually docile, but torment in the colder months. It lead away from the cemetery and was followed by a trail that lead to the woods. Halley had discovered it while taking a walk with Teddy so many years ago. The little boy had wanted to ignore the bridge and wanted to swim through the water.<p>

The faded memory of that made Halley smile. She swirled her finger over the design of the wood, strands of her white hair falling over her face. Her reflection was blurred in the moving water, details smudged and running away with the fading light. It was like her memory lately, now no longer being able to recall past events as clearly as she would like to.

It left a bitter taste in Halley's mouth. Her most current blunder was calling one of her great-grandchildren by the wrong name. Poor Arthur had given her an odd look and told her that his name wasn't Percy. Then the topic was changed back to Quidditch.

The last of the sun caught her engagement ring and made the light shine blindly in her eye. She raised her wrinkled hand to shield it, but still found herself to be blinking rapidly afterwards. The lingering afterimages swirled in her sight and changed.

Halley's reflection was the same. A small, withered woman with unruly white hair. But someone was standing next to her, at least the relation showed that. A freckled hand was resting comfortably at her waist, and a head of red hair ducking under her ear. She couldn't feel him. Halley looked over her shoulder to see no one.

Gabriel's reflection mouthed some words, whispering into her ear. She couldn't understand what he wanted. He stepped to the side, motioning to her with his hands. Halley followed him and spoke directly to the water. "What are you…"

The wood creaked with the sound of extra weight being added. The patter of feet stumbling and a touch of a hand brushing hers. Thin fingers curled over her knuckles, feeling warm and so real. Her eyes slowly trailed over his arm and then to his young face. A soft smile made the freckles on his chin move a little. "I couldn't hear you. And you only needed to move a little to the left…"

Halley opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her mind briefly flashed back to a surreal dream that she had months ago. There was a hammock swinging, sand crunching under her feet…And Gabriel looked as young as the age that they got married. He was standing in front of her, all flesh and bone and muscle.

He tilted his head to the side, his hand receding back. He was looking at her with a shyness that she hadn't seen since he was a little boy. "Do you remember that dream?" he asked.

_…But bears it out even to the edge of doom_…Words fluttered through the back of her mind, but the memory of the dream stayed put. A sudden feeling of fatigue struck, and Halley felt her eyelids flicker and her body bend under the command of sleep. Her hand dug into the frame of the bridge, giving her the support to stay up.

"Halley!" Gabriel's hands flew to her shoulders. His voice broke through the cycle of the a single sentence going though her mind: I'm dying, I'm dying…"Stay with me," his voice was half-pleading. "Look at me."

And she did. It was so long since she had seen his dark eyes. "It's not going to hurt," Halley said slowly, as if to herself. Too many old memories crowded in the back of her mind, waiting to be set free. Now one was speaking for her. "Like falling asleep. Painless."

"Right," he said. Relief washed over his face. "And I'm here to help you. You need to cross the bridge. Just one more step."

Halley looked down at her feet. Her glasses slid low down her nose. "One more step?" she repeated.

Gabriel nodded. He stepped back and he took her by the hand, their arms extended. "You're almost there."

Halley had to laugh. "I'm dying and being told by my deceased husband that I need to walk…" Unconsciously she took a step forward. Something made her stumble, hands instinctively pushed out to stop her fall, and only for his arms to wrap around her.

"You're lighter than I remember," he said.

Halley reached to push her glasses back up, but they weren't there. In fact, she couldn't remember seeing anything in detail (much less the wood) so well without wearing them. Then her eyes fell to her scarless hands, thinner arms, and came to an obvious conclusion. She got back to her feet with much more ease and looked around. She was still in the woods, standing on the bridge, and everything felt the same. "Now I'm dead." Her younger voice sounded foreign to her own ears.

Gabriel leaned against the railing, watching her. "A bit different from the last time."

"King's Cross or that dream?"

"You chose not to for both," he reminded her. The fading sun glinted off his hair.

"How do you feel?"

Halley experimentally tested out her joints that no longer ached, and checked over to see if any scars were still there. She brushed some of her fringe back and only felt smooth skin. It was curious having full mobility again, to be younger and stronger. "This is bloody weird."

Gabriel's lips quirked. "Only a little." He sided up behind to her, arms loosely folded over her. He smiled into her shoulder, whispering missed words. Goosebumps erupted over Halley's skin at the contact, and she eased into him.

"Hiya," she murmured. She raised a hand to touch the side of his face. "Take it that you missed me?"


	54. Happy Place

**AN: Just a quick something before I go back to study some more. **

**Thanks to those who left reviews, I wouldn't mind some more (please). And prompts. Keep in mind that I've already done a wedding, a proposal, a baby…**

**Disclaimer: **Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Happy Place

**Word Count**: 600

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><p><em>When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. <em>

**~Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally**

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><p>It was one of those usual mornings, Halley decided.<p>

They were both having a lie in at her flat. The storm outside made them feeling lethargic of the idea of doing anything. Gabriel was reading one of his romance novels, the edges of his fingers covered in crumbs from the toast. And Halley was sipping the last of her tea from a large mug. The serving tray was at the foot of the bed, empty plates and dirtied napkins covered it.

The afghan that Molly knitted for Halley curled around them, providing extra comfort from the hard headrest. The way it flapped over one of her ears muffled the sound of the pitter-patter of the rain.

Then there was a sudden crash of thunder and the flickering of lightning nearby. The ceiling light fuzzed for a bit, and went back to being steady. Gabriel winced, his grip tightening on his book. Every now and then his eyes would dart out the window, keeping an eye for anymore lightning.

Halley nudged his thigh with her foot. "It'll pass soon," she said over the rim of her mug.

"I know," he said, frowning. "I don't like it either way." Another crack of thunder made Gabriel jump. His novel fell to his lap as he sat straight up.

"It's not out to get you," Halley said with the vaguest of smile. She set her mug down on the bedside table, their liquid making her feel drowsy enough to fall asleep again. Gabriel grumbled something about her being wrong. She pulled back the blankets and moved a little to give him more room. He gladly sided up against her, their arms and legs were tangled.

"It was worst when I was little," he said. "Whenever a storm came I would hide under my bed with my teddy bear and wait for it to be over. Mum would sometimes find me the next morning like that."

Halley ran a thumb down his neck, easily imagining his younger self doing that. "When did it get better?"

Gabriel's eyes got a far away look. He thrummed his fingers against her back, not answering until he could find the right words. "Riddle," he said at last. His jaw tightened at saying the name.

Halley tasted something sour in her mouth, and she banished any images of psychotic red eyes. But the storm overhead did nothing to help. "I have an idea."

He looked at her. "What is it?"

"Close your eyes, and imagine being somewhere else."

"Seriously?"

"Rory and I would do it all the time." Halley thought back to whenever it got grim at Hogwarts, they would spend hours at a time concocting these strange vacation spots. A frequent one of Rory's was to be hanging out with the Chudley Cannons.

Gabriel closed his eyes. His red eyelashes fluttered as he let his imagination create a happy and peaceful place. "We're at the beach…It's all warm and sunny there…"


	55. Amends

**AN: Just anther quick something before...Oh, wait. Lice...Dammit! **

**Thanks to those who added this to their favs, alerts, and that one review. I also wouldn't mind some more reviews and suggestions. Sorry for the shortness, but I'm really out of it today **

**I should also be working on my outline for NaNoWriMo. **

**Disclaimer: **Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title:** Amends

**Word Count**: 570

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><p><em>As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. <em>

**—Buddy Hackett**

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><p>Daisy Dursley gulped at the door opened. The man who opened it was tall, very tall. He had red hair that couldn't be a real colour, a face full of freckles, and dark eyes that were looking at her with hostility. He was cradling a snuffling baby in his arms. "Dursley."<p>

Daisy nodded, she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. The parchment with the address that Daedalus gave her crunched in the palm of her hand. Dear god, he knew her name. "Hi, uh, is Halley here?"

"What the bl—What are you doing here?" he asked harshly, holding the baby closer to his chest. She caught a look of that thing sticking out of his pocket.

Dairy immediately recoiled, afraid that he'll turn her into a pig.

"I-I'm here for Halley and I came to apologise and is this is a bad time?"

The wizard closed his eyes, his mouth pinched into an even tighter line. "She's in the hospital."

"Oh." Daisy blinked back images of her cousin with various types of injuries. All of the procrastination that she was using up to this point now felt even longer. It could even be too late. "Is Halley alright?"

His shoulders slumped, and the baby began to make some soft cries. "I'm on my way to see her right now." The cries became louder, and he rubbed circles on the baby's back. "Shh, James. Please don't cry."

Daisy finally got a good look of the little boy. Something about his hair was familiar…Ot was all dark and tufty…Oh, he must be…Halley's boy. There was also a gold ring on the wizard's finger, and which made him Halley's husband. Daisy's cousin who was an angry, sullen teenager from the last time that she had saw her was now married and with a kid.

"Can I come?" she asked quietly.

Halley's husband raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to see her? You made her life miserable." He lowered his voice. "You're so lucky that she never turned out as some homicidal…" His angry rant was cut off by his son crying.

It was hard to tell who looked the most emotionally wrought: The father who was stressed about his wife in the hospital and with caring a newborn, or the son who wanted both his parents. Daisy inched back, the awkwardness and the insecurity feeling like a brick wall.

"I want to see her." The croak came out as a weak demand. She tried to hold her ground when the redhead glared at her. Daisy met his eyes with uncertainty. "Please, I've been trying to do this for years, and I'm not going to let anything stop me this time."


	56. Think of Something Happy

**AN: Thanks to those who added this to their alerts. Reviews would also be very, very nice. Please. I am also working on one of the stories on my poll.**

**This takes a week after These Are the Days.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Think of Something Happy

**Word Count**: 820

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><p><em>"Scars are just another kind of memory." <em>

**― M.L. Stedman, The Light Between Oceans **

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><p>Gabriel groaned into his pillow. His back itched from the cooling ointment that was fading into his skin. He thought that by returning to Hogwarts to help rebuild would be a good idea, but he took a nasty spill down a trick step instead. The fresh scars on his back reopened and Gabriel was recommended to stay at home for the rest of the summer.<p>

It was well into the afternoon and he was already bored. A worn paperback was dumped at the head of his bed, weariness and irritation made him not wanting to read. It was one of those cheesy romances that was glossy and unrealistic, but Gabriel had a weakness for those. It was also best that no one would ever know or they would tease him forever. Sometimes he would even imagine the male lead with hair like his and the female with green eyes.

Gabriel closed his eyes and tried to make himself relax. Using a technique that his mum taught him, he slowly let his body fall asleep and starting with his feet. Eventually, he made his way to his knees, but the sudden crack of the door being opened interrupted him.

Gabriel raised his groggy head to see Halley standing by the door. She shifted her weight from each foot, and then shyly looked at him. "Your mum wanted me to look in on you."

"Oh," he said, flushing at the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt near her. "I'm fine, just bored. And you can come over here, you know. Your fidgeting is making me nervous."

Halley sat on the edge of his bed, her arms crossed over her middle. Green eyes quickly looked at his healing scars. "They look worst than it did last week."

Gabriel tried to shrug his shoulders, but his muscles were too sore. His eyes caught the pink on her cheeks, and he moved his hand to cover hers. "Could be worst. Think you can add some more ointment?"

She reached for the jar on the bedside table with her free hand, and the used both to unscrew. She wrinkled her nose at the smell. "Just your back?"

The old Gabriel would have made a flirty remark to see her eyes spark and to hear a witty comeback, but now he couldn't find the courage. "Yeah."

Hands were brushed over her shoulders, spreading the cool ointment over his skin. Low sparks were sent spiralling past his nerves. A part of him thought that he was dreaming. Being shirtless in the same room as Halley was the reason why a low sound elicited from the back of his throat. He felt flushed, his heart pumping too quickly.

Halley withdrew her hands and muttered something. Gabriel shook his head like a dog ridding water in his ears. "Sorry," he croaked. He was sure that his ears were redder than his hair. "I…"

She ran a hand through her mess of hair. "What was it like being back there?"

The sudden change in the awkward conversation made his head spin a little. "At Hogwarts?" Gabriel asked.

"Where else?" Halley tucked a knee under her chin and watched his face for any hidden expressions. He wanted to ease her by holding her hand again or to say some comforting words, but he couldn't think of anything.

Gabriel carefully rolled to his side, trying not smudge any of the ointment. He briefly romanticised the way the sunlight from his window touched her, creating a soft, golden halo of light surrounding her. Then he was brought back to reality with meeting the sharp green of her eyes.

"Darker," he said softly. The image of the ruined castle played in his mind. "Lighter where there were gaping holes. It's like looking back on an old memory and it doesn't match up. Then I fell down the stairs."

"I don't think I can go back there," Halley said. Her lips were crooked as she rubbed the scar on her forehead. "After everything…it'll be too much."

"Then think of something happy," Gabriel let his hand brush up against her arm. The flurry of sparks grew as she lowered her head closer.

"Like what?"

Her mouth was centimetres away, her eyelashes grazing ever so slightly. He raised a hand to cup the back of her head, the long tangles feeling comforting against his hand. "Am I dreaming?"


	57. Silver Lining

**AN: Thanks to those who added this to their alerts and favs. The only thing that's missing are reviews. And there sadly hasn't been any for the past few chapters.**

**This short one takes place after chapter 34.**

**Disclaimer: **Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title: **Silver Lining

**Word Count:** 545

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><p><em>"He wanted to draw out the moment before the moment- because as good as kissing feels, nothing feels as good as the anticipation of it."<em>

**― John Green, An Abundance of Katherines**

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><p>"I wasn't sure what to give you," Gabriel said as they neared the bedroom.<p>

Halley, who was leaning against him, looked up curiously. "We already talked about this. You don't need to get me anything."

A low blush spread over his cheeks. Halley felt his arm that was draped over her start to move. "But I do. Just a little something." The words triggered a memory in her mind, and then she knew where this was going.

"Does it involve a silver lining?" she asked slowly.

The hand at her shoulder started to slide down her side. Their foreheads touched and Halley felt her stomach swoop at how close they now were. She could see more of his freckles, even the smaller ones near his lips. "That's what I'm looking for," Gabriel murmured, he kissed her, and Halley was kissing him back.

Suddenly, it felt like Halley was having last year's birthday all over again. But instead of having that desperate last kiss, this one was slower. More passion instead of blissful oblivion. Her hands were tangled in his hair, and his were gripped at her waist. Her name was moaned softly from the back of his throat.

Stumbling backwards, her back was pressed up the wall. Her hands fell to his back, and Gabriel was nuzzling her neck. "Halley," he repeated her name again. He pressed little kisses over her collarbone. "You're so…"

The door next to them opened with a bang, and they jumped apart.

Rory looked at them both, disgusted. "People are trying to sleep here. Go snog somewhere else."

Halley had her face buried in her hands, too embarrassed to look at either Weasley. She distinctively heard Gabriel muttering some choice swear words of his own. "You really know how to put a damper on things," he said pointedly to his sister.

"Just looking out for you both," she chimed in. "Goodnight." The door then slammed shut.

Halley and Gabriel looked at each other, now feeling very awkward. She ran a hand through her hair. Now uncertain of what to do next. He looked down at his feet, the tips of his ears bright red.

"So," Gabriel said. "I got nothing."

She raised a hand to touch her tingling lips, and had to smile slightly. "I think I've had a good birthday."

"It's not over yet," he reminded her.

Gabriel then pulled her into a hug, his hand resting on her lower back and her hands wrapped around his middle. Halley grinned into his shoulder. "Thanks for remembering."

"Anytime," he dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I'm always willing to help you find a silver lining."


	58. Passing By

**AN: Thanks to the one person who left a review.**

**Huzzah! I made it over 16K hits!**

**Inspiration came from the Matchbox Twenty song Parade**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Passing By

**Word Count**: 642

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><p><em>…than this: where I does not exist, nor you,so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.<em>

**― Pablo Neruda, Sonnet XVII**

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><p>"Do you think of the future?" he rolled over on his side to face her. The rhythmic rocking of the hammock was like a gentle lullaby, making her feel disconnected with everything else. The solid touch of his hand over hers was what brought her back to reality.<p>

"What?" she asked.

"The future," he repeated. "What do you think?"

She studied the contrasts of their skin tones as she thought. She never thought much of her future, the fear of having a dark lord out for the kill often ruined any career plans. And the brief times that she did thought of a future, something would come by a ruin it. Often times would feel too good that she feared it wouldn't last.

She ran her pale thumb down his freckled knuckles, unsure of how to answer. "I don't know," she finally answered. She shyly met his earnest eyes "How about you?"

He shifted his weight, unintentionally making their hips touch and his ankle crossed over hers. Their hands never broke apart. "It comes and goes, doesn't?"

"True enough."

"Truthfully…" He bit the inside of his cheek, making a small part of the area concave a bit. "The future seems so much more…" his words trailed off as he thought some more.

"We'll just have to wait and see," she said pensively. "There's a lot that needs to be worked out. Getting Hogwarts back up, the whole lot of us getting jobs, and it's like watching a parade passing by and I have no clue what to do."

"You're not alone," he reminded her, and squeezed her hand. "You don't have to be."

She made a hmm-hmm sound and moved around so that his chest could be a pillow. Warm flesh and bone was a much better alternative to rough knots and rope. "I just don't know what I'm looking for these days."

He said nothing to that, and she appreciated it. One of his sunburned arms was gently curled over her, his hand resting at her shoulder. The heat radiating off his body and the dying sways of the hammock was making her feel drowsy. Slowly she felt her eyelids began to drop…

And a raindrop fell on her face. Eyes now opened, she waited for another one to fall. The soft rustle of the summer winds changed into a dull roar as rain suddenly fell down on them. They both cursed at the the change of pleasant weather, and she reached for her wand by her side to cast some enchantments.

The rain stopped a few inches above their faces and sloshed to the sides as if they were encased by a giant, invisible umbrella. He raised his head up from the hammock, impressed. "Where you learn how to do that?"

Her tone became unmistakably grim. Her wand hadn't left her hand since the spell was done. "Last year."

He noticed this. Nudging her hand so that she would let go, he then coaxed her to come back down next to him. "It isn't that bad to think of a tomorrow," he told her. "It comes soon enough."

She grumbled something and resumed her earlier position with her head laying on his chest and their legs tangled together. "That's what scares me…"


	59. Daddy's Girl

**AN: Happy Friday! **

**Über thanks to WillowBlueJay for resurfacing (and bombarding my inbox with countless emails). And to Slightlysmall for leaving a review a la The Review Tag on HPFFC. **

**Thanks also to Sangkar for the prompts: eyes just like her mother/chalkboard/a golden tinge**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Daddy's Girl

**Word Count**: 524

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><p><em> As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. <em>

** ~Solomon Ibn**

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><p>"Maybe you'll have eyes just like your mother," Gabriel cooed at the gurgling baby in his arms. "Will they be green like hers? Brown like mines? Or blue like Aunty Rory?" His baby girl was so beautiful in his eyes. Cinnamon-coloured freckles dotted over her nose, and a fuzz of hair the same shade as aged Firewhiskey.<p>

Lily lifted her small arms up to touch his face. She was so fascinated with the freckles and the growing beard on his face. Or at least it was an attempt to grow a beard—it was the third time already and it was going to last. It was becoming a family event these days to take the mickey out of him.

The father and daughter were sitting in a park bench, bundled up for the chillier weather. The leaves were gaining a golden tinge, becoming vivid like a phoenix's feather. Children were running around, their laughter and screams spread throughout the area. Gabriel lofted Lily up so she could see them play.

"When do you think that'll be you, Lily Flower?" Halley had started that nickname the second their girl was born. She explained later that her mother was called that, and it would be a shame to let such a pretty nickname die.

Lily laughed and bopped her father on the side of his face. Her arms shot out, as if she was attempting to reach the playing children.

"Wait until you can walk," Gabriel said, and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. Her newborn-blue eyes welled up with tears and began to cry. Her face scrunched and was flushed red. She wailed at the fact that she couldn't go and run out. He sighed and placed her towards him, his hand encompassing her back. "Shh, don't worry…"

Two children siting nearby looked up from the chalk drawing that they made. The unrecognisable scribbles reminded Gabriel of the short-lived and frustrating Arthimancy symbols on the classroom chalkboard. "How old is she?" one of them asked.

"Two months as of yesterday." Lily had stopped crying and was finding a new interest in the scarf that Gabriel's mum had made a year before. "Feeling better, I see?"

"She's loud," the other child said and crinkled his nose. "Louder than my baby sister."

"I think she likes the attention," Gabriel said. Lily looked up at hearing that and smiled so sweetly that it could make even Snape smile back. "You do," he told her with a dramatic sigh. "I think you get it from me."

Lily's laughter joined with the others.


	60. Patented Daydream Charm

**AN: Thanks again to WillowBlueJay and EM for leaving a review. And to Budapest All Over Again for leaving a review a la The Review Tag on HPFFC (I think that's the coolest thing about the forum). **

**Now for procrastinating my Forensic Odontology homework! **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Patented Daydream Charms

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>Once upon a time…<em>

**— Duh**

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><p>Of course a daydream made by the twins would involve a bloody effing dragon.<p>

Dropping to the ground, the very realistic dragon spewedfired over Gabriel's head. The top of his helmet was barely glazed over, but he could still feel the intense heat. Swearing loudly and creatively, he scrambled back up to his feet in his heavy armour and did an impersonation of someone running for their life, but the outfit made it too hard to do anything simple.

_That's it,_ he thought as he ran up a large hill. The beating of heavy wings became louder and louder. _Once upon a time there were two sisters who enjoyed using their brother as a guinea pig for their products…and he later decided to use one to skive off studying…the bloody idiot._

Right now Gabriel would love to take a no-break study session with Hector than getting chased by a giant, scaly, flying rodent.

He had no wand, his sword left abandoned somewhere, and a daydream-induced death was looking inevitable. If Felicity wasn't already dead…

A stone tower thankfully came into view. Gabriel forced his exhausted self to run faster as the roar of the dragon shook the land. He groped at the grey exterior, trying to find something that would lead him inside or at least safe. A trick door, raised stones to climb on, anything vaguely useful would do.

He barely had time to look over his shoulder, and when he did was when the dragon blew another stream of fire at him. Raising his hands up, Gabriel braced himself to feel any sort of scalding pain…but instead he felt nothing. Surprised, he opened his eyes to see hundreds of butterflies fluttering nearby. The dragon was laying on the grass, smirking.

Gabriel told the monster to do something that was impossible for its anatomy to do.

The dragon made a curious laughing sound and then jerked its head up. Gabriel looked up to see a small window carved inside the tower. It was very high up and the intent was clear. "Are you serious?"

The dragon extended a sharp claw in interest.

"Fine," Gabriel snapped. He yanked his armour off and chucked the stupid helmet to the ground. It felt good to get the heavy stuff off. He rolled his sleeves up this elbows and looked up again. "Got any suggestions?"

Five seconds later he was hanging by a hand on the windowsill. His grip was loosing, but that didn't matter much as Gabriel was spewing more curses at the dragon for leaving him there. The scaly beast gave him no mind and had already flown off.

Gabriel used the last of his depleting strength and pushed himself up. His other hand got a tight grip and he pulled himself through the opened window. His head struck the floor as he tumbled to the ground. Unsettling vertigo made him light-headed and groaning. He stared at the arched ceiling, cursing his deceased sister's name in vain.

Having enough, he shakily got up and looked around his new surroundings. It was a small room, holding only a vanity table, a dresser, a stool, and a canopy bed. It was a very depressing and colourless place, Gabriel decided. It was also rather cold with being that high up. He shivered and crossed his arms over the thin underclothes.

Someone was sleeping in the bed, and Gabriel had a good feeling on who it was. He quietly walked over and saw that he was correct.

She looked exactly like Halley, and at the same time she didn't. She was more delicate, innocent looking. She was sleeping peacefully, her oddly long hair spilled around her. Her pale skin was free of scars, and smoother without her calluses. She was wearing a dress that a member of Fabris' family would most likely wear. It was all made of silk and lace, something that Halley would never touch let alone wear.

So far everything was the standard for a fairytale (Hector had given him a book filled with them for his birthday). There was a knight, a dragon, and a sleeping princess in a tower. But Gabriel couldn't remember which story would apply to this scenario. Did he had to kiss her? Was there some spell? Or did it involve a quest?

Halley made a soft sound that suspiciously sounded like his name.

A kiss it was then. Gabriel bent his head over hers, feeling very awkward doing this. It was one thing to kiss his girlfriend awake, but it was another to consciously do this in a daydream. This was definitely more borderline creepy rather than romantic. Nevertheless, he lightly pecked her on the lips.

Halley immediately stirred. Her eyes opened, the green looking straight at him. "Oh," she finally said. "You don't look much like a knight."

"It was a last-minute idea," Gabriel said.

She openly stared at him. It unnerved him how innocent she looked, nothing like his Halley who would remark something dryly at the scene. "Then was it you who woke me from the curse? Using the kiss of true love?"

"It was the dragon, actually. Its quite the character." Sarcasm was sadly lost on her, as well. Pity. "It was me," he admitted after seeing her lost expression.

Halley sluggishly moved, her dainty feet hitting the floor. He offered her a hand to help her up, and she gratefully held onto him. "Does your kingdom live far, Sir Knight?"

Gabriel gawked a bit when she stood up. The dress was truly something that Halley wouldn't wear. It made the bridesmaid dress that she wore at his sister's wearing look like a potato sack. "Sure," he mumbled. "Why not?"

Halley showed no signs that his staring was bothering her. On the contrary, she seemed oblivious to it. "I must thank you in some way for you risked your life to save mines."

Gabriel tore his eyes away. "Wait? What?"

Halley wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. It was nothing like kissing the real Halley—his Halley. Hers were blissfully warm and passionate, but this was colder, emotionless. It was even more awkward than kissing her awake. He made mrph-noises and pushed her away.

"Did I do something to upset you?" her dulcet tones rose in disappointment.

"Listen," Gabriel croaked. "You're nice and all, but I really prefer waking up now."

She tilted her head to the side, brows creased. "I'm confuse."

"I mean that my sisters had too much fun making this. Gits." He shook his fist in the air, hoping that Felicity was happy wherever she was. They bloody knew that wasn't going to enjoy any second of this.

"I…" Halley opened her mouth to speak, but everything suddenly faded to white.

Gabriel gasped and sat up. The complete change in transition sent a shook through his system. He wiped some drool off his chin and blinked at being surrounded by a familiar place. Sighing in relief, he found that he was back in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"About time," Hector said, sitting right next to him. His good friend was holding the box for the Daydream Charm. "Went anywhere nice?"

"No."

"Excellent." He made the box disappear with a tap of his wand and several textbooks took its place. "Now let's study for our NEWT's."


	61. Getting Old

**AN: Thanks again to Legionary Prime, Avelin, Randomfandom5, and PsychoBrunette for leaving reviews.**

**(Thanks for all of the prompts, as well. More will be written within a week or so.)**

**A heads up is that once November comes, updates will be fewer due to NaNoWriMo.**

**But on the bright side is that you guys will get a big story after that.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Getting Old

**Word Count**: 681

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><p><em>Insanity is heredity; you can get it from your children<em>

**— Sam Levenson**

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><p>"Are you crying?" Gabriel asked.<p>

Halley dabbed the corners of her eyes with her shirt sleeve. "No, she denied. "I just got some dust in my eye." She watched the trail of steam wither away into the crisp, fall air. The Hogwarts Express had left, taking a new term of children to go with it.

Lily had waited no time to rush onto the train, barely giving her parents time to say goodbye. She was already worst than Jimmy, who barely hugged them. At least Al had the decency to say some sort of a bye before heading off to see his friends.

Gabriel draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her into an one-arm hug. He peered closer at her, shocked. "Bloody hell! You are!"

"Shut up," she socked him in the arm.

Gabriel rubbed the newly-made sore spot on the arm. "Are you trying to teach those new Aurors how to punch through a wall or something?"

"I wasn't crying," Halley denied again. "It was the dust and the steam."

"And the thought of our baby girl growing up." He looked over to where the train left, his pensive expression turning softer and sadder. "They're all growing up."

"Is it too late to stop the train and force them all back home?"

They shared a look, contemplating the idea for a little bit. It was vaguely tempting, but their kids would never speak to them ever again. "It wouldn't be that hard to do," Halley mused.

"Kind of fun, as well," Gabriel added as an afterthought. "How far off do you think the train is by now?"

"Too far for you two old coots." Teddy appeared between them, his arms pulling them all into an awkward hug. He looked at his godmother, a teasing smile playing over his face. "Are you crying, Aunt Halley?"

"I raised you into this world," she warned, she glaring up at him. "And I can raise you right out."

"How does that even make sense?" Gabriel asked. "And don't you have a girlfriend to go snog?" he reminded the boy. Victoire was standing close by, waiting for him. She threw him an impatient look.

"True enough," he clapped them both on the back. "So long, my favourite elderly couple. I must go enjoy the prime of my youth!" He walked away with a bounce in his steps and greeted his girlfriend with an impressive embrace.

"We're not old. Right?" said Gabriel with uncertainty.

Halley examined a lock of her hair, studying it for any grey strands. "What's the correct way to answer that?"

"I mean, we only feel old because all the kids are now at Hogwarts. And the house will now be quiet, lonely…" Fear dawned on his freckled face. "Dear Merlin. We are old."

"And all the babies are gone," Halley added in a monotone. "When should we start popping by to embarrass them?"

"Give them another week," he said. He gripped her hand and brushed his thumb over her knuckles. "We should stop by Hagrid's that Friday when they go visit for tea."

"Or how about during their Quidditch practice?" Halley could easily imagine waving to Jimmy and Al from the stands. "Then they'll never speak to us ever again."

They waited in silence with Halley's head leaning on Gabriel's shoulder and his hand resting at her hip. "I don't want to go home yet. Do you?" she asked him.


	62. Stag and Fawn

**AN: Thanks again to:**

**Willow (We all take pride in doing that to our parents)**

**Evangeline (Don't worry, Hogwarts has them in capable hands. I think)**

**PsychoBrunette (That is a plus, imagine how much more relaxed Harry would be if it was socially okay for him to let him have his weak moments)**

**RandomFandom5(Is this quick enough?) for leaving reviews.**

**Every time I kept writing this, it wouldn't go where I wanted it to be. At least I get to make references to the story that my history teacher told my class. And do another cute family scene.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Stag and Fawn

**Word Count**: 599

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><p><em>A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.<em>

**— Agatha **

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><p><em>"Mu<em>—mmy," came the whine.

Halley rolled rolled over to her side, and opened an eye. The blurry form of Jimmy was standing by the bed, his felt-toy dog clutched in his arms. He was making snuffling sounds, and that alone was making her maternal side kick in.

"Whasatter?" she slurred through her sleep.

"Can you 'alk me to bed?" He batted his brown eyes at her. "Pwease, Mummy?"

Halley sighed and raised her head from the comfortable pillow. "Jimmy, why are you even up?"

"Don't matter," his chin was quivering at this point. "It scary."

Her internal clock wanted to rebel and go back to sleep, but instinct helped her get out of bed and put her sleeping gown on. Gabriel stirred next to her empty spot, his mouth moving in a yawn. "Wuzzoin?"

"Nothing." Halley covered her mouth as she caught his yawn. Merlin it must be late. She held onto Jimmy's hand and started to lead him out of the room. "Just putting the little bludger back to his room."

"S'okay, 'en?"

"Just go back to sleep," she told him. Jimmy looked up at his mum impatiently. "I know, I know, let's get you back into bed."

Jimmy stuck to her side like glue as they walked him back to his bedroom. It wasn't until Halley put him into his bed was when he started to speak.

"Can you stay, Mummy?" he asked as she pulled the duvet over him.

"There aren't any monsters," she reassured him. To prove her point, she withdrew her wand from the pocket of her dressing gown. She drew it in arc, sending a shimmer of silvery light to follow. "But do you want me to make any more go away?"

He nodded.

Halley kissed the tip of his nose, smiling. "Now watch, one day you will learn how to do this." Jimmy intently stared at her wand as she thought of something happy. A collection of those memories swelled up, and then poured through her arm and to her wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

A silvery stag erupted from her wand—its antlers and fur were covered in a softly-glowing light. It pranced around the room before stopping by Jimmy's bed. It knelt its head for Jimmy touch it. His eyes went wide and he raised a hand to touch the nose. The second his skin made contact when when the Patronus faded away like fog meeting the morning sun.

"Better?" Halley ruffled his hair.

"Do it again!"

"Some other time," she gave him one last kiss. "Now sleep, or you'll be exhausted in the morning."


	63. In Memoriam

**AN: What is with that 403 error? Anyway, I think it's gone now and this was a pain to write. :-P**

**Anyway, thanks to Willow for leaving a review. Yes, making a Patronus would be awesome. It would be the coolest nightlight, messaging service, and it can knock down your enemies!**

**This chapter was inspired by the ending from the latest episode of the Vampire Diaries.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: In Memoriam

**Word Count:** 620

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><p><em>"When you love someone you let them take care of you."<em>

**― Jodi Picoult**

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><p>Halley stood stiffly in her shapeless, black dress. The funeral for Remus and Tonks was already over, but she decided to stay behind. Out of the blur of funeral processions only few stood out that month: Felicity's, the Lupins', and Snape's. And each one left a bitter taste in her mouth.<p>

She sat next to the tombstone. The engraving was a simple epitaph about choices, and small bouquets of monkshoods and sweet peas littered around the pale marble. Halley was having a hard time keeping a concentrated eye on it; the thought of knowing that her friends were buried underneath kept making the guilt come back.

"Lo, Remus, Tonks," Halley pressed her hand on the sun-warmed slab of rock. "Can you tell that it's me speaking? I saw your son today for the first time. He looks like you, Remus." Halley wiped her eyes with her arm, the pressure in the back of her throat was building up. "I can't look at him, I keep thinking of you two and how you won't be able to be with him.

"Why did you even made me Teddy's godmother? I'm going to be just as bad as Sirius, and I don't even know how…" The internal damn broke and Halley cradled her head in her hands, crying. "I hate doing this," she continued. "I bloody hate going to these things and _crying…"_

A comforting hand touched her shoulder. Gabriel sat down behind her, still wearing his dark formal clothes. His face was drawn and pale, his freckles even lost their colour. "We all hate this," he agreed with a grim smile. He handed her a worn tissue from his pocket.

Halley blew her nose loudly. "How is doing this suppose to make us feel better?"

"Closure, I think." Gabriel stretched his legs out, his knees knocking against hers. Their fingers laced together as they held hands. He looked over to where the Tonks' house stood. The windows were let open and the curtains were trailing in the summer breeze. It was a peaceful looking home, the type that could a family there forever. "How thick will it be if I ask how are you feeling?"

"Just as thick if I ask you the same question," Halley looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "How are you holding up?"

"Well…" Gabriel started slowly. "Between the nightmares and everyone crying at random times…I saw that Rory and Hector were looking at an old photo album the other week, and it brought back so much. How do you handle it?"

Halley snorted. "Right. You've seen how I 'handle' my emotions." The dry laughter sobered. "I don't know how." she admitted. "Never knew how to properly grieve, now I think about it." She could feel more tears prickling in the back of her eyes.

"Come on," his voice was gruff as he tugged on her hand. "Let's go see your godson, Halley."

"Why?" She looked at him when he stood up.

"Because he needs you."


	64. Pretty Presents

**AN: You guys are freaking amazing :-D Five reviews in little over an hour, several new favs and alerts, and over 19K hits!**

**Willow**: It helps that a fic that I'm writing for NaNo is equal parts angst and action. I think. So far. And, yeah, I think it'll be one exhausting road for Harry as a godfather.

**PsychoBrunette**: Well, it first started off as fluff about the honeymoon, then another Dursley one, a work one, and then I came to think about a funeral. I need to write happier ones, methinks.

**Random**: Same here, but I'm also very partial to angst for Shut Up, Hannibal and Break the Cutie.

**Legionary**: So would this be a bad time to say that there are 36 chapters left? If it helps, I think my NaNoWriMo fic would be enjoyed by fans of this. But it's more action-orientated than hurt/comfort-rom-com.

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Pretty Presents

**Word Count**: 671

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><p><em>"Sometimes people are beautiful.<em>

_Not in looks._

_Not in what they say._

_Just in what they are."_

**― Markus Zusak, I Am the Messenger**

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><p>Gabriel tilted his head to the side, watching their reflections in the mirror. Halley was standing in front of him, the dark evening dress spilling off her shoulders.<p>

"Do you want me to zip you up?"

Halley looked over her shoulder, a smile playing over her face. "Don't get too distracted, then. Apparently we're needed at the Christmas Party."

"Shocking," he said, tracing a pattern over the silk covering her hip. His eyes roamed up her back. It seemed like the pale skin there was less effected by the war, barely any scars nor burns in comparison to the rest of her body.

"Are just going to just stand there?" she teased.

"I'm also going to compliment you," Gabriel kissed her exposed shoulder. "You look lovely. Like a Veela."

The words made her laugh. "Laying it on thick, I see?"

"It's true." He continued to trace over the designs on the dress. "Halley, you have no idea how beautiful you look like this."

"You're also saying that because you want to make us late for the party."

That reminded Gabriel of something important. "I also want to give you something first."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow as he pulled something from his coat pocket. Her eyes bulged once she saw the box. "Bloody hell! If you're proposing—"

"What?" Gabriel looked up, startled. "We're not even in our twenties yet! Bugger, does it look like I—sodding—" His eyes kept going to look at her and to the box. "New approach: Close your eyes, please."

"You're asking an Auror to close her eyes?" Halley remarked.

"I asked nicely." She complied, but grumbled a bit about paranoid Aurors. He opened the box and put a necklace around her throat. "Now you can open them. Happy Christmas!" he added.

Halley did and raised a hand to the pale gold chain, she hooked a finger around the snitch charm and smiled. "It's beautiful."

"When I saw it I thought of you, no matter how cheesy it sounded." Gabriel slowly started to zip her dress up. He paused at seeing the swath of cloth surrounding her chest. His mouth went dry, and the images of what they did last week played behind his eyes.

"Gabriel?" Halley asked. "Are you okay?" She twisted her midsection to look at him, and it only gave him a better look.

He closed his eyes. Maybe he could finish the zipper blind? "Oh, fine. Just bloody fine." He opened an eye a little bit. "Do you think you can do the rest from here?"

"Wizards," she scoffed, and with some difficulty zipped up her dress. She turned around to face him, arms crossed over her chest. "Are you okay? You look flush?"

"You just look very, very, _very_ pretty in that dress."


	65. First Crush

**AN: Thanks to those who faved, alerted, and reviewed! Future chapters I'll include another friendship scene, but I would love more suggestions.**

**Willow**: So that was your squeal? I'm also glad that you found it to be very sweet.

**PennyLane074**: This seems to be the exception for several. I think it's the fluff, to be honest.

**Random**: We need to get our minds out of the gutter :-D

**PsychoBrunette**: I could never see Harry/Halley as a material type—only for Quiddditch.

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: First Crush

**Word Count**: 663

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><p><em>"I couldn't find a quote. Again."<em>

**― Zadi**

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><p>"Jimmy, what's on your face?"<p>

The boy was perched on a stool, peering at his reflection in the mirror. His hands, the counter, and his face was covered in a thick layer of white foam. He shakily held a sharp razor in his hand. "Nothing, Dad."

Gabriel shook his head and swiped the razor away. "You won't be touching this until you are much older."

Jimmy's shoulders visibly slumped. "But I need it!"

"To get a nasty cut?" Gabriel took a hand towel and began to wipe his son's face clean. "Jimmy, you're too young to start shaving. How many more grey hairs do you want to give me?"

"Lots," Jimmy mumbled. He spat a glob of shaving cream out of his mouth. "Mum has loads already."

"Don't tell her that, at least, not to her face," Gabriel advised. He tilted the boy's chin up, staring him in the eye. "Now do you want to explain why you were about to use my razor?"

Jimmy squirmed at the gaze. "Just a girl in the village," he said. "Says she like a clean-shaven man. And you don't use it much."

"Did it ever occur to you that you have no hair on your face?" Gabriel ignored the jibe about the lack of facial hair that he himself had.

"Nu-uh," Jimmy argued. He jabbed a finger on the right side of his chin. "I got a hair right here!"

"And right there, and there," Gabriel tickled the area under Jimmy's chin. He smiled as the boy giggled. "Do you like this girl?"

Jimmy's laughter immediately sobered. He looked away, a Weasley-inherited blush covered his face. "Kinda. She thinks I'm funny. And she has pretty, dark red hair."

Gabriel laughed inwardly. It seemed that the Potter Curse lived on through their children. Maybe the three kids would even be wearing glasses next…"I remember when I was younger and I had this big crush on your mum."

Jimmy looked up at the words. "Did Mum knew you existed?"

"No, I was too shy to talk to her properly, and she didn't like the poetry that I would write. Not until when we were older was when she started to like me."

"But how did you got Mum to like you?" Jimmy asked. His eyes were wide and he was shocked that there was a time when he parents weren't together.

Gabriel ruffled his hair, grinning, "I snogged her in front of everyone."

_"Ew!"_

"What? If you don't believe me, then let's go ask Mum." Gabriel picked the boy up and started to carry him across the hall and into Halley's office. "Halley," he said. "We got together because I snogged you, right?"

Halley swirled around in her chair, an eye brow arched at seeing her son with traces of shaving cream on his face. "No, I snogged you fist, and you were going to give me a hug."

Jimmy looked at his dad, disappointed. "You're no help, Dad. Poor Mum had to snog you."

"Poor me," she sighed theatrically. "I have to make kissy-faces with your dad. How horrible."

"Don't listen to a word she says," Gabriel said in a stage-whisper. "She secretly likes them."


	66. One of Those Days

**AN: Thanks to those who faved, alerted, and reviewed! This now has over 20.4K hits, wow.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: One of Those Days

**Word Count**: 422

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><p><em>When you're having a bad day at work, a lot of times it's your head. When you're having good days, a lot of times it's the absence of the mind.<em>

**—Curt Schilling**

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><p>"You look tired," Gabriel commented. He dog-eared the page that he was reading and closed the book. "Are you okay?"<p>

Halley collapsed next to him on the bed, and buried her face into a pillow. "You have no bloody idea." She then groaned some choice words about her coworkers. She raised her head, scowling. "It's not been a good day. Or week."

"So, nothing good at all happened?" he asked. "No overnight shifts, no intensive paperwork, no—"

"I get it!" Halley interrupted loudly. She moved into a sitting position, her legs crossed and fingers curled tightly around the pillow. Her work robes gave the appearance of swallowing her up when they were bunched up by her sides. "You're trying to make me feel positive, aren't you?"

"In matter of speaking…"

"It's not going to work," she said. She slunk her head down to her collar, much like a turtle retreating to its shell. "I'm having my bad day."

Gabriel only watched her and shook his head. "You need a vacation, Potter."

"Christmas isn't for another few months," came her voice from her robes.

"I mean soon," he clarified. He paused at whatever he was going to say next, and mentally checked the calendar. He really did not wanted to ask that question, but it would give him an answer. "Is…is it _that_…time?"

Halley ever-so-slowly raised her head, her mouth set into a determined, thin line. "No."

"I had to ask."

"It was a horrible question."

"So," Gabriel cleared his throat. "About that vacation…"

"I don't know," she said. "With work and all, I don't know if I can find time."

"Then let's do something nice over the weekend."

Halley raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he said. "I don't like it when you get all miserable and moody. It's bloody infectious. And I think you killed a plant last time."

She chucked the pillow at him and he caught it. "The plant had it coming."

"Sure it did."


	67. Masochist

**AN: Pretty close to 21K by now, and that means that I know people are reading this…Review, s'il vous plaît?**

**Thanks to RandomFandom for leaving reviews. Ah, I know that I leave some pretty impressive quotes. I sometimes even amaze myself…(I was being faux-hammy, in case no one noticed)**

**This takes place a few weeks after the Battle.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Masochist

**Word Count**: 628

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><p><em>"For the first time she had dimly realized that only the hopeless are starkly sincere and that only the unhappy can either give or take sympathy-even some of the bitter and dangerous voluptuousness of misery."<em>

**― Jean Rhys**

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><p>It was when Halley woke up when she was feeling rather miserable. It wasn't the emotional kind that everyone was suffering from, but a physical one. Her head felt like she flew too high on a broom, her throat sore, and she couldn't tell at times if she was feeling hot or cold.<p>

Then it wasn't very surprising when Mrs Weasley declared Halley sick and sent her back to bed with a bottle of Pepper Up and a bowl of chicken soup. Frankly, the only thing that Halley wanted to do in her lethargic state was to sleep. But every time she tried she kept waking up covered in sweat from a nightmare.

Gabriel came in sometime in the afternoon. "Mum wants you to have this." He held a steaming bowl out for her as he sat down on her bed.

Halley looked darkly at the other bowl that was on the bedside table. The soup inside that had gotten cold, and she wasn't interested in more. "I'm fine," she insisted with a hint of sarcasm. She sat up and rested on her forearms. "I do not need more soup."

"More for me," he said, and started to drink from it. He smacked his lips together after taking a large spoonful. "Nice, I think she changed the recipe."

"Say what you want, I still can't taste anything properly."

"That's horrible." He turned on the bed to face her, and crossed his legs to hold his bowl in place. "You can eat this wonderful food, but not being able to taste it…Are you sure that you're not having a nightmare?"

Halley rubbed her forehead. "I'm positive. Because if this was one, then this must be the tamest one so far."

Gabriel frowned. "They're still quite bad?" His voice was uncharacteristically soft.

"I think I've stopped waking up screaming."

That turned out to be the wrong words to say.

"Halley, you can always—"

"I know," she said, tired that she was being reminded of this often. She tasted something vaguely bitter in the back of her throat. "But I don't like the idea of waking any of you up. I can deal with it."

He looked down at his bowl and solemnly stirred the spoon. He refused to look at her in the eye. "You're a good liar."

"I'm not lying," said Halley, but mostly to herself. "Honest."

"My bedroom is right next door," Gabriel looked at her. There was a familiar light in his brown eyes. "You can always get me. I wouldn't mind."

"But I do."

"We give a damn about you, so stop being such a masochist. Merlin, Halley, do you want to be always miserable?"

Halley didn't dare to answer. She could feel herself flushing from embarrassment.

"Exactly," Gabriel said thickly. He swung his legs off the bed and held the empty bowl in one hand. "If you want to talk, I'll be downstairs."


	68. Admitting

**AN: I've noticed that there's been some more people putting this on their favs and alerts. That is great to know, and I would love to know what you guys want to see next. I'm running low on inspiration, and I want to eventually reach 100 chapters.**

**This takes place after the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Admitting

**Word Count**: 619

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><p><em>"I'm here. I love you. I don't care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There's nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me."<em>

**― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love**

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><p>"You awake there?" Halley pushed open his door, peeking her head out.<p>

Gabriel twisted around, pulling his sheets and blankets around him like a cocoon. He blinked his brown eyes, surprised. "Now I…" He sat up in his bed, and rubbed his eyes. "Give me a few seconds to wake up first."

Halley hesitantly entered his room, but looked back at the door. "I can just leave, if it's better that way."

"You don't—no—" Gabriel stumbled as he got up, dragging the bedsheets with him, and fell to the floor. "Bloody hell…"

Halley went to help him up. He towered over her as he stood, and swayed when he let out a loud yawn. "Thanks," he said. Gabriel looked at her shyly, reminding Halley briefly of the first when saw her so many years ago. "Are you well?"

Halley let her shoulders slump. She ran a hand through her hair and looked away. "You said that I can always…Maybe this was a bad idea." She started to walk out of the room, but Gabriel held onto her hand.

"It's not," he said. He was looking at her differently now—more attentive and focused. "Halley, you can tell me."

"It was a nightmare," she admitted softly. She closed her eyes and curled her fingers tightly around his. "It was a bad one."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Gabriel asked.

It was instinctive for Halley to say no, but she choked on the word. The lack of sleep and recurring nightmares were making her want to break down crying, and she was getting so tired of making sure that she wouldn't fall apart. Instead she nodded as she felt stinging tears in the back of her eyes.

Gabriel pulled her into a fumbling hug. "That bad?" Halley knelt her head into his chest, and nodded again. _I'm not going to cry,_ she repeated. _I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry… _But it was too late, hot tears escaped through her shut eyelids. Soon enough the pain and exhaustion broke through the barrier and she was sobbing for the first time since the war ended.

It was the deep, heaving sobs—the type that she hadn't let go since her Fifth Year. Embarrassment came with that pain, and she hated feeling like every emotion was crushing down on her. It was coming back in spades lately, usually after a funeral or a particularly bad nightmare.

Gabriel only held onto her and didn't speak. It wasn't until Halley collected herself when he spoke. "How do you feel now?"

"Miserable."

"You're getting somewhere," he said. He blinked rapidly as if he had something in his eye. "I think we all are."


	69. What Happens Next

**AN: Thanks to Random who left a review. Hopefully this chapter is happier. :-/**  
><strong>Read and review please.<strong>

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: What Happens Next

**Word Count**: 651

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><p><em>The whispers in the morning <em>

_Of lovers sleeping tight _

_Are rolling like thunder now _

_As I look in your eyes_

**― Celine Dion, The Power of Love**

* * *

><p>Halley changed her position in the hammock so that could use part of Gabriel as a pillow. The change in weight caused the makeshift of rope and knots to swing unevenly from side to side. She curled up next to him, and tucked her knees under her chin. She looked up at the sky. "It's pretty tonight."<p>

Gabriel yanked a light blanket over them, and settled comfortably with an arm around her. "I wonder how many constellations I can still name?"

Halley surveyed the tiny pinpricks of light. Astronomy was never a strong point for her, it was too easy to goof off during those classes than to pay any attention. "Think you can try?"

The hand that wasn't resting around her shoulders was pointing at the sky at supposedly random directions. "That's…wait…no. I think…maybe?" His red brows scrunched up in confusion as he attempted to name any. "Now I remember why I didn't do so well in that class."

"It's a nice night either way," Halley said. She looked sideways at his face. "Are you ready to go back to Hogwarts?"

Gabriel stiffened under her. The pensive look on his face fell to a more pained expression. He curled a corner fringe of the blanket around his fingers. "I dunno if I am. It'll be weird."

"Hector's going," she reminded him. "Think Luce and Nellie are, as well. Have you heard from anyone?"

"Not much since the…funerals," he said softly. His mouth twitched into a grimace, remembering his sister's funeral too well. "Any contact's been short and nothing close about going back."

"No one wants to talk," mused Halley, feeling guilty on how that was her way of coping.

The hand at her shoulder twitched and pulled her into an awkward one-arm hug. It fell to her hand and slowly traced over the scars on her hand. Gabriel's voice was low when he spoke. "Sometime I think that maybe I don't have to go back."

Halley closed her eyes and tried to imagine more peaceful days like this one. It would be nice to just relax in the hammock all day in the bright sun, but it felt too good to be true. "You'll get bored here."

"I'll have you around."

"Auror training starts up next month. I'll be a sore and cranky mess whenever you'll see me." Halley made a face as she remembered when Kingsley came down earlier that month to tell them about the training program. It took her and Rory less than a second to make their decisions. Then he told them how strenuous and gruelling it would be.

"So I won't have you around," Gabriel amended. He turned his head to look at her. "I can't imagine life at Hogwarts without you and Rory."

"I pity Hector," Halley said. "The thought of the three of us not doing something together is maddening. The three of us are a team, and now…"

"You're all trying to figure out what happens next?" he suggested. "I think we're all trying to do that."

"Let me know when it starts to work."

He shifted around so that he could face her, and he smiled softly. "I do know one thing for sure. I'm going to miss you."

Halley nuzzled into his side, smiling herself when she felt his hand resting on her arm. "Same here."


	70. Mum and Dad

**AN: Thanks to…**

**Bri**: You will be seeing more sisters soon. Hang in there, it's just hard enough to juggle three characters.

**Evangeline**: You, too, random citizen. And I won't object if you have to write a paper about me. /Joke.

**PsychoBrunette**: Wish I thought of that. Well, as you wish…

**Sorry that this is rushed, I wrote over 2K already in two vignettes and an one-shot (all would love reviews, please). And with NaNo coming up soon, I won't be having much time to write for this.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Mum and Dad

**Word Count**: 789

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><p><em>"When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching - they are your family. "<em>

**― Jim Butcher**

* * *

><p>"Aunt Halley?" Teddy peeked his head from under his russet duvet. "Can you and Uncle Gabriel be my mum and dad?"<p>

Halley paused in mid-step as she almost left his room. She turned on her heels and boggled at her godson. "I'm sorry?" she croaked.

Teddy sat up, his hair turning into a vivid shade of yellow. "Can you two be my parents?"

Halley covered her face with her hands and sighed deeply. Bollocks, this wasn't going to be an easy conversation. She sat down on Teddy's bed, her hands now folded in her lap. "What started this?" she asked him.

"I was telling everyone at school that you two were getting married, and Richie Polks said that his dad's girlfriend became his mum by adopt-y him." Teddy sat up straighter, his eyes beaming with excitement. His words came out faster and faster. "And you two can adopt-y me, 'cause Grandmum won't mind, and I can even look like you two!"

He scrunched his face up and his hair became a shade of Weasley red. Freckles spotted his skin, and when he opened his eyes they were now a bright green. Teddy's hopeful smile faltered at his godmother's silence. "Don't you want to be my mum?"

"Oh, Teddy…" Halley smoothed his hair back and watched it turn to a sandy brown. The freckles vanished and his grey eyes were glistening. This was reminding her too much of the time when Teddy first started speaking, and he kept calling her 'mum'. She cupped his face, speaking gently. "Listen, Gabriel and I love you much, and we don't want to replace your parents."

"But they're dead," he said. The words made her flinch. "You can be my mum now."

Halley had no idea how to respond to that. "I-I can't. I'm sorry—"

"Why not?" Teddy's voice rose. "You love me, Uncle Gabriel loves me, why can't I be your son?" Hot tears fell down his face, and he wrenched away from her to wipe them away. "Everyone in school has a family, but I don't!"

Halley felt hopeless. She tried to think of something to say, but it was hard to find the right words to use. "Teddy, I never had a mum and dad. And the closest ones I had were Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur."

"Did they adopt-y you?" Teddy sniffed. He wiped his runny nose with a corner of the duvet.

"No, but they treated me as family. Gave me jumpers each year and I was always at their house." She unfolded an afghan that Molly knitted, and showed Teddy the colours that were used. "See? She made you this, and that means that you're a part of the Weasley family."

"But I want a mum and dad!"

"And you have one," Halley said. "I can't do that to them, Teddy. I can't replace Tonks, and Gabriel can't replace Remus." Teddy crossed his arms over his chest and curled himself into a tight ball. He made harrumphs and refused to look at her.

Halley tucked the blanket around him. She closed her eyes and spoke slowly. "When you were born, I had never seen your dad look so happy like that before. In that short time you gave your parents so much hope, and everything that they did was for you. I don't want to take that away from them."

"But—but—"

"Family means," she continued with a sterner voice. "It means that they'll care so much about you even if you're not related to them. It means no matter what, they'll love you."

Teddy uncurled himself, and his hair flashed to more muted colours. "I just wish…"

"I know," Halley kissed his forehead and stood up. "Sleep well, sweetie. We love you."


	71. Halloween

**AN: Now for something quick. Happy Halloween! **

**Good luck with NaNo, everyone! **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Halloween

**Word Count**: 582

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><p><em>There is something haunting in the light of the moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery. <em>

**~Joseph Conrad**

* * *

><p>Halley was always edgy on Halloween night. Sure it seemed paranoid by this point, but it was ingrained in her every year. Always on that night she would watch vigil in each of her child's room, waiting, hoping that their nights would be free of green light and sickening laughter.<p>

Gabriel offered to take them trick-or-treating. He knew how she could be during that day.

Promising to be back by ten; Halley watched them leave to mingle with the ghosts and goblins running amuck in the fading light.

Halley left a cauldron of treats outside the door for trick-or-treaters, and retired to a chair in front of the fireplace. She had in her wand in one hand and watched the flames curl and lick inside the fireplace. Sitting in that position reminded her of the times when Sirius would make a covert call to her in the Common Room. Maybe if she could tilt her head to the side and squint, she could make out the blurry outline of a face…

* * *

><p>"Halley," Gabriel touched her shoulder, waking her.<p>

She yawned and looked up. His face was red from the cold, and a dollop of paint was on his cheek for his costume. "Lo," Halley murmured. "What time is it?"

"Half past ten," he answered. He manoeuvred into the chair and wrapped an arm around her. "When we got back you were asleep, so the kids left you some sweets before they went to bed." He handed her a bag of bulging treats.

Halley leaned against his chest and opened the bag. She smiled when she saw that it was mostly chocolate. She unwrapped one and began to eat it. "Thanks. How was it?"

"Fine," Gabriel said. "Jimmy and Teddy kept trying to run off, Al confused people with his costume, and Lily wanted to bring me everywhere. By the way, do I still have paint on my face?"

Halley nodded and pointed to his right.

He raised a hand to his cheek and rubbed the paint off. "Bollocks, thought I got all of it. How are you, then? Feeling better?"

Halley raised the bag. "Thanks to this, I am." Her voice grew sarcastic in style. _"Happy_ Halloween."

"Prat," he kissed her. "You don't have to be miserable. Come with us next year, and it'll be fun."

Halley turned to look at the dying fire. "I don't know…"

"Please?" Gabriel nuzzled the back of her neck. He used this as a distraction to steal a chocolate sweet. "I'll like you to come."

She closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy the rare alone-time that they didn't usually shared. "Have any ideas for a costume that I should wear?"

Halley could feel his smile that twitched against her shoulder. "How about a witch?"

"That's original."

"What?" Gabriel kissed the skin under her ear. "You are a very sexy witch."

She laughed this time and pushed him away. "And now you're barking."

He leaned back, and any laughter faded away from his face. "Do I have to woo you again?"


	72. Doe and Stag

**AN: Thanks to Random and Fire in the Attack for leaving reviews.**

**You want more Weasleys? Well, I'll try, and I can't promise much. I'm in a fluffy-romantic mood these days.**

**In other words, I'm incompetent with NaNo so far…Which is why my brain is freaking fried. Stupid Sandy.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Doe and Stag

**Word Count:** 455

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><p><em>Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That's what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side."<em>

**― Lauren Oliver, Delirium**

* * *

><p>"Here," Halley wrapped her fingers around his wrist. She guided his arm to do the proper wand movement, her cheek was pressed up against his. "Now think of something happy."<p>

Gabriel's hand was resting on her hip. He turned his head, his lips grazing her skin. "Care to help?"

Halley laughed. "Nice try, but I think we've covered enough snogging."

"Pity," he averted his attention to the charm work. Frustration crossed the teasing look on his face. "Why is it so hard for me to do this? It wasn't that hard before."

She slid both of her arms around his waist. "Emotion plays into spells like this one. Back in Training they made us do the basics all over again." She stood on the tips of her toes to kiss the back of his neck. "Now focus."

Gabriel closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He flickered back to memories like waking up with her in his arms, the chaotic joy of celebrating Christmas with his family, playing Quidditch with his school team… "I think I have it."

"Good," Halley said. "Now let's see it."

"Expecto Patronum!"

Whooping in delight, Gabriel jumped as he saw a Patronus being formed. The laughter faded when he didn't see a horse, and his jaw dropped next. "Please don't tell my sisters about this."

She laughed. "It's cute." The doe Patronus looked up and walked towards Halley. It gestured something with its head, the hooves hitting the ground impatiently. She drew her wand and cast her own stag. The stag raised its head, and his doe stepped over to Halley's stag. The two creatures tentatively walked around each other, they drew closer to each other, and then vanished.

"We're a matching set," Gabriel said weakly. "Everyone's going to be teasing me about this for ages."

"Only because we care for you."


	73. Ten and Eleven

**AN: Here are more Weasleys, and a fried brain. I've also seen that more people are reading this (25K hits), so reviews would be lovely.**

**NaNo is out to get me, and I keep procrastinating. And homework can only be an excuse for so long. On the plus side. You guys get a new mini-arc. Reading the Time Traveller's Wife inspired it. **

**In other words, I'll go do my history notes later. And there's snow outside of my window.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Ten and Eleven

**Word Count**: 2K

* * *

><p><em>There's no place I can be<em>

_Since I've found Serenity_

—**Firefly**

* * *

><p>Molly Weasley turned her infamous glare on her grandchildren. Two boys looked own at their feet, trying to resist an urges to look up at her furious face. "James Sirius and Albus Severus Weasley," she spoke slowly, enunciating each syllable. "What in Merlin's good name convinced the two of you to do such a thing?"<p>

James raised his head slightly, and then ducked back down. "Dunno," he mustered his vice to a higher decibel. "Thought it'd be fun." He nudged his brother's shoulder to pass the blame along.

Albus covered his face with his hands. "I got pressured into it. I swear!"

Molly placed her hands at her hips; her glare and temper were intensifying. "Did you thought it would be fun to see your parents as helpless children?" The rhetorical question hung dangerously in the air. "Do you know that for the next two months, your little prank will be constantly changing their ages?"

James gulped and did an impression of a turtle retreating to its shell. "So it isn't going to last for a day?"

* * *

><p>Gabriel was very surprised to see many redheads at his home. They vaguely reminded him of his numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, and they all kept looking at him funny as if he got dirt on his nose. He looked around to notice that they were all staring at him and a strange girl next to him. Like him, she was wearing clothes that were too big and was very confused.<p>

He could hear his mum in the next room, and she was shouting at someone about a prank. It wouldn't be surprising if it were the twins. They were always up to something. Speaking of them, Gabriel couldn't see any of his sisters in the kitchen. Just many tall redheads, and a few blondes and brunettes.

Gabriel hiked his suddenly large trousers up, wondering what happened to his real clothing. "Uh," he said. "Who are you people?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT WAS THE GENERAL IDEA?" shouted his mother.

A witch that looked like Rory poked her head out the corridor to see the action happening. "We're the innocent bystanders. Can't say much for them, though."

* * *

><p>This was all very confusing.<p>

Apparently he's supposed to be old and someone gave him and the girl a potion as a joke. It was suppose to shrink them, but actually made them younger. All of his (now much) older sisters tried to explain it to him in the plainest of ways, but he was still trying to get over the fact that they were all _married_, and had _kids!_ He believed them at last when he found a shiny, gold ring on the floor next to him.

Still, the other girl had it worst off. _She didn't even know what magic was! _She said her name was Halley and was very quiet.

"Bloody hell," Rory said. She looked over to Georgia whose hair was oddly flat on one side. "Was this the prototype you were talking about?"

"We were going to start human trials soon, ironically," she said. "Glad to know that Jimmy is always willing to do my job for me."

"But for how long?" asked a wizard with bushy hair.

"Eh, animal testings proved it to be about a month or so."

"My mum and dad are going to be like this for a month?" loudly exclaimed a girl that looked a lot like Gabriel. She got out of her seat and went to the other room, shouting, "James, Al, you blockheads!"

A series of motions started after that. Dad shrunk his clothing and the girl's so that it would fit, dishes were magically cleared away, and Rory and the bushy-haired wizard were talking to Halley to make it lest confusing for her.

Gabriel was still sitting in his chair, and silently counted the number of people in the room. Surprised, he only counted six of his sisters, five husbands, and too many kids that couldn't stop staring at him. "Where's Felicity?"

Any more conversations died. Many people looked at each other awkwardly, and some went pale. Georgia finally spoke up in a voice too high. "She's travelling."

"To where?"

* * *

><p>Halley wasn't sure exactly to where she was at. Just an hour ago she was sleeping in the cottage by the sea, escaping the funny letters that were appearing somehow. She was going to sleep, knowing that tomorrow would be her birthday, and suddenly she was here. She was in a very loud, very colourful kitchen that was packed with people, and wearing clothes that she was drowning in.<p>

Halley couldn't even see through her glasses, the prescription was off and they were also too big for her face. It kept falling of her nose and into the syrup that was in her empty, sticky plate.

A nice redhead woman with a long nose tried to explain to Halley what happened, but between her and the loud noises coming from everyone else, it was hard to understand. Then a man with lots of bushy hair tried to help. There was something about magic and a prank, but that couldn't be right because magic wasn't real.

Right?

That was proved to be wrong when another redhead pulled a stick out and pointed it at her. Watching in silent fear, Halley saw her clothes shrinking until they fitted her properly. The same was done to a boy sitting next to her. He bent down to the floor and picked something up and handed it to her. In his palm was a very pretty gold ring, and another with a diamond on it.

"Here," he said, and his face turned to a bright red. "Think these are yours."

Halley pushed her overly-large glasses up her nose and squinted. He was pretty boy with the same red hair as everyone else, lots of freckles, and dark eyes. "Why d'you say that?"

"'Cause I got one." He held up a matching gold ring. "We're suppose to be adults, and now we're not. And hi, I'm Gabriel."

"Oh, I'm Halley," and she ran a hand through her hair. She was starting to wonder if the mysterious letters from no one also had to do with magic. "And you say that _magic_ did this?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Mum and Dad say magic can and can't do a lot of things."

"And Mum says that this will be fixed," said a stern voice. A matronly and round woman walked in the room, and two boys trailed silently behind her. "Now," she turned around to face them. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

The taller one with red hair slowly looked up. "Sorry, Mum and Dad," he said in a monotone. "I won't pull a prank like this ever again. I'm very sorry."

The boy with messy hair spoke next: "It was all Jimmy's idea! I'm innocent, Mum, I swear!"

Gabriel and Halley looked at them oddly. _Mum and Dad?_ Now that couldn't be right.

"Mum," Gabriel said suddenly. "You look really old."

* * *

><p>"We all come here for brunch every Sunday," explained an older and more scarred Charlene. She, Halley, and Gabriel were sitting outside and drinking tea. It was a lot quieter compared to the cacophonous chaos going on inside. "Jimmy and Al must have thought it would be fun to pull one last park before gong to Hogwarts next week."<p>

"Hogwarts?" Halley asked.

Gabriel was boggled. "How can you not know what _Hogwarts_ is?"

"Come on," Charlene reminded him. "She doesn't know much yet. I think Hagrid was the one who brought her the letter." She took another sip of tea, pondering. "Eh, Rory and Hector are bound to know things better than I do."

Halley folded her knees under chin, looking very small. She played with the ring that he found for her in her small hands. "Why am I even here?"

Charlene set her cup down on the steps and fumbled with the kettle that was still out. "Care for some more?"

Gabriel looked down at his own ring, thinking harder. "Is she married to me?" he guessed. "Is that why those two blokes called us 'Mum and Dad'?" Charlene tried to interrupt, but he was on a roll. "And Felicity is off somewhere, but no one is telling me where. Everyone in the kitchen is family somehow, and I already went to Hogwarts."

He turned to his sister, now scowling. "Where's my wand, then?"

"Dad has them," she said simply. "There's a reason why we don't want the house to accidentally burn down."

"Can magic fix my glasses?" said Halley softly. She took her large glasses off and blinked her pretty eyes. The action caused some of her fringe to move, and Gabriel spilled his cup of tea as he saw a scar on her forehead.

"You're Halley Potter! I'm married to the Girl Who Lived!"

Halley put her glasses back on, confused. "I'm what?"

* * *

><p>Jimmy looked up from scrubbing another pan clean without magic. "This is also your fault."<p>

Al snorted and started to dry off a tray. "Right, now who was the one who mixed the vials up? I told you that the Shrinking Potion was on the left." He stood on the tips of his ties and looked out the window. "Merlin, Mum is so _short._ Dad, too. And why is he looking at her like that?"

Jimmy pushed himself up on the sink and also looked out the large window. His miniature dad was staring at Mum in shock of some kind. "Dunno. Maybe he thinks girls have cooties?"

"Think they'll stay that age until it wears off?"

"Nah," Jimmy shook his head and went back to washing the dishes. "You heard what Aunt Georgia said: They'll be getting older and younger a lot. They could be adults again tomorrow, for all we know."

"And we'll be stuck with kitchen duty until the Easter Holidays," Al remarked dryly. "We have to clean out the shed next, de-Gnome the garden, and feed the chickens. No magic, no, and no Quidditch until we're at Hogwarts. Thanks a lot. Remind me to start saying no to you more often."

* * *

><p>"Is that better, dearie?"<p>

Halley put her glasses back on and was glad to see that she could actually see out of them. "Thank you, Mrs Weasley." She was starting to really like magic now. It could fix her glasses, make her clothes fit, and surrounded her with some very nice people.

She didn't see the sad expression that crossed over Mrs Weasley's face. Instead the older woman bent down and cupped the girl's face. "My, don't you look thin? What would you like to eat?"

Halley blushed under the question. No one really asked her what she would like to eat; she mostly ate a smaller portion of whatever Daisy had. The sad part was that she didn't know what food she would like the most. "I…um…"

"Would you like some treacle tart?"

"I dunno, Mrs Wealey, I never had treacle tart before."

Mrs Weasley stood back and blinked a few times. "Then we can make it together," she said in a thicker voice.

They walked to the kitchen too see it empty save for two people: Gabriel and a redhead girl that looked eerily like him. He ducked his head and blushed when Halley entered the room, but the girl had a different reaction.

Once she saw them, she waved her hand in the air wildly. "Hi, Mum. Hi, Grandmum! I was telling Dad all about what he's like, and did you see how short he is? I'm almost taller than my dad! Can you believe it?"

"I can believe it, Lily," Mrs Wealsey said after the verbal onslaught. She started to gather some pots, pans, and ingredients for the tart. "Would you two like to also help me bake something?"

* * *

><p>They weren't the only ones sleeping in the Burrow that night. Lily, and the two other boys were also sleeping over and they knew which room that they wanted, Gabriel was glad to know that none of them wanted his room. Lily was sleeping in Georgia's room, Jimmy was sleeping in Charlene's, Al's in Beatrice's, and Halley in Rory's room that was next to his. But when Gabriel walked into his room, he thought that he had entered the wrong one.<p>

The yellow walls were a touch lighter, the Holyhead covers that he loved very much were replaced with plain white ones, and it was empty. Sure it had the furniture, but most of the objects that were his we're gone. Lighter spaces on the walls told him where old posters and pictures were, at the same time it looked like his room, and it didn't.

His mum and dad kissed him goodnight, but when they left he had trouble falling asleep. Gabriel kept thinking over what everyone told him. The facts like that he was married to Halley Potter of all people, that he had kids, and he once played Quidditch professionally always came back. Also whenever he kept looking at the family clock to see where Felicity was, someone was always blocking his view.

It was all very strange that his future was already happening, and he had no idea what to expect.

"Hullo," said a very small voice near the door. Halley wrapped her arms around her thin frame, shivering. "I can't sleep. Can you?"

Gabriel shook his head, trying not to blush again at seeing her. Ever since he found out who she was, he had kept embarrassing himself throughout the day. It was the little things like not being able to talk in her presence, dropping whatever he was holding, and occasionally babbling. For some reason putting his elbow in the butter-dish made everyone laugh a lot. "N-no, not after everything."

Halley rubbed her arms. The palms of her hands were probably still a fresh pink because of the Healing Charm Mum had to use when they convinced her to try flying. "I almost don't want to sleep," she muttered.

"Why?" Gabriel swung his legs back and forth off his bed. "Afraid that you'll get a nightmare?"

"No," Halley said, her cheeks were pink. "I _like_ it here. I don't want it to be a dream. Everyone is so nice to me, and it's so warm here. I don't ever want to leave."

The thought of his home being like that made Gabriel feel guilty for wanting to go to school so much. "What about Hogwarts?" he asked.

"What about it?"

He moved to the side of his bed to give her some room to sit. She was looking tired with the droopy eyes and the flushed face. Halley crawled onto his bed, her shoulders knocking against his. "It's just Hogwarts," he said, "is suppose to be the best place in the whole world."

"I think your home is."

Gabriel blushed a red to rival his hair. His home was never complimented like that before. "Thanks."

Halley yawned and her head was leaning on his shoulder. Her eyes began to flicker. "Now I feel sleepy."

Gabriel stiffened at her being so close to him. He could easily smell the shampoo in her hair and feel the softness of her cheek on his shoulder. "Uh," he squeaked. "What was your favourite part about today?"

"Flying and eating treacle," her eyes brightened. "It's really wicked being that high up. You?"

_This_. "Everything, I guess. I like future that I have."

"Me, too," and her lips twitched into a pretty smile. "It was suppose to be my birthday tomorrow, but I like this better. I get a family."


	74. Sixteen and Seventeen

**AN: And the next installment out of…four? I'm still planning these out. After this I'll be using my random number generator. I never knew I could make my calculator do that. Cool!**

**Thanks to Prime, A Fire in the Attack, and PennyLane074 for being responsible for my 200 reviews! **

**Sorry that this is shorter than the other one, but my brain is still fired. Cheers to a three day ****weekend!**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Sixteen and Seventeen

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began<em>

—**Leo Tolstoy**

* * *

><p><em>This isn't a dream,<em> Gabriel realised through the haze. The rest of his mind was consumed by every touch and taste of Halley. Waking up to see her in his bed convinced him that it was a dream. Like the many of dreams that involved her lately, it had sent any poetic thoughts away and was replaced by need.

The Halley in this dream was paler, thinner, and more covered in scars. But it was still her. The same noble git who broke his heart and left to go save the world. It was bloody incredible having to kiss her again. She was in his lap, her mouth and hands were exploring greedily. Gabriel never wanted this dream to end. It felt too real.

The illusion of it was broken was when she felt the fresh scars on his bare back. The amorous expression on Halley's face changed to shock. She traced a particularly bad one that curved over his shoulder. "W-what?"

Gabriel pushed himself away from her, and almost fell off his bed. "Not dreaming," he gasped. "I'm not dreaming!"

Halley striking eyes surveyed him, the flush on her face faded away. "No. I'm the one whose not dreaming…" she said very slowly.

"How are you here? In my house? In my _bed?"_

* * *

><p>Arthur looked up from his paper to hear shouting from upstairs. "They're up," he told Molly.<p>

She was weaving Lily's hair into a plait. Their granddaughter frowned as the voices escalated. "Why are they arguing?"

"They only woke up, and maybe confuse," Molly explained, and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Things will be better when you get home from school, dearie. Come on, now." She held out her backpack and handed it to the younger girl. "Oh, Arthur?"

"I got their wands," he reminded her. "Don't worry, the house will stay in one piece."

"Dad!" Gabriel scrambled down the stairs; shocked at everything that was happening. "What the bloody hell is happening?" He almost toppled over the last step as Halley collided against his back. The scars exploded in more pain.

His father, now older and more greyed, looked at them oddly. He plucked his glasses off his nose and rubbed the lenses clean with his sleeve. "My, you two are teenagers."

"Teenagers?" Halley's voice rose. "Mr Weasley—"

"Your sons wanted to pull a prank," he explained quickly and put his glasses back on. "You both only came up to my hip the other day."

Halley rubbed her eyes and spoke in a broken voice. "I—son—what?"

"A prank?" echoed Gabriel faintly.

* * *

><p>Yesterday, Halley was resting at Shell Cottage, and now she was hiding in the shower at the Burrow. Her head was resting between her knees, letting the hot water envelope her. She felt disconnected from being placed out of the war, and being told about everything that had happened afterwards. She also felt somewhat unhinged from waking up.<p>

_I'm in my thirties, I have three children, and I'm married to Gabriel who will probably never speak to me again_. Halley bent her head back to let the warm spray distract her thoughts. The months in hiding had left her with minimal human contact, and she now craved his touch again. "I'm screwed," she admitted out loud.

She shakily rose and turned the shower off. She dried herself off with a towel, and put her clothes on despite still being wet. Her glasses were readjusted to fit her thanks to Mr Weasley, and he still reused to give her and Gabriel their wands back.

_My friends are all grown up, they're married, they have kids, and they've moved on with their lives. I'm stuck being a teenager with a bloke that'll now refuse to look at me in the eye._

_Perfect, just perfect._

* * *

><p>"Would you like to explain anything?" Dad asked as he poured Gabriel another cup of tea. "Like how she ended up in your bed?"<p>

Gabriel groaned into the palms of his hands. "No idea, I thought I was dreaming," he added in a quiet voice. "I wished I was dreaming."

"Ah," Dad said. He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Oh. I am not blind to the activities that any of you have been up to for ages. You can always tell me—"

"Hold old was I?" Gabriel suddenly asked. He raised his head a little to read the expression on his dad's face. "I have kids, so I guess that means things get better. When did we got back together?"

"A year or so," he drank some more tea. "I knew since day one. Any letters since then were carefully written to hide it." He leaned back in his chair and snorted. "You are dreadfully obvious at times."

Gabriel swirled the contents of his tea. "In the space of less than twenty years, Halley and I get back together again, married, and had three children. Two, of which, are responsible for this entire mess."

"I'm sorry, Gabriel," Dad said. "But they're _your_ children. I can only pity poor Minerva. You two created her worst nightmare by naming your oldest 'James Sirius Weasley'."

* * *

><p>"I'm ten," Lily said, her bright eyes sparkling just like her father's. She swung her legs off the hammock; her dusty shoes were kicking up and down. "I can't wait to go to Hogwarts and annoy Jimmy and Al, and my maths teacher is a git." The two girls were sitting in the hammock, and Halley was enjoying getting to know the redhead.<p>

Halley smiled for the first time in a while, or what felt like in a while. "I know how you feel, I also don't like Maths. What are your dad and I like?" She was making an effort to avoid him the entire day so far.

"You two kiss. All the time." Lily made a face that eerily reminded Halley of her own. "Even when you two were little he kept making these funny eyes at you."

"No boys make eyes at you?" Halley joked.

"Dad!" Lily said instead.

Halley turned around to see Gabriel looking oddly shy. "Hi," he said. "Can I join?"

Lily was called back inside to get her homework done. Gabriel took her place in the hammock, it was the most physically close that they've been since that morning. "Do you want to talk?"

"Do you?" Halley retorted.

"Fine," his jawline tightened. "How was your morning?"

"As I remember," she said evenly. "You started it."

"You also thought that you were dreaming!" Gabriel instead. "You also left me."

Halley lowered her gaze. "I never had a choice. I don't want your funeral to be the next one to go to."

"My funeral?" he scoffed. "Then let me tell you what I've been doing why you three were saving the world. Nellie, Luce, and I were saving Hogwarts. You have no idea how thing are different there. It isn't Hogwarts anymore."

* * *

><p>"Are they arguing?" Arthur looked out the kitchen window to see the two teenagers at it. He shook his head and went back to helping Molly with the dishes.<p>

"They've been silent around each other all day," Molly said softly. "I'm worried."

"It's a wonder they had tried to hide it from us during that year." She waved her wand and sent the dishes flying to the cupboard. "Do you still have their wands?"

"Of course," he replied. "Hate to see them trying to jinx each other."

"Everything got better for them," Molly said. She sighed and looked up at the family clocks. Unsurprisingly, Halley and Gabriel's hands both were pointed at 'Lost'. "It took time, and it hurts to see them like this."

Arthur wrapped an arm around her. "Don't worry, Mollywobbles," he said soothingly. "They're doing just fine."


	75. Eighteen and Fourteen

**AN: Thanks to everyone who left a review, and added this to their favs and alerts.**

**Prime: **In the next chapter you certainly will be seeing more of that.

**I hope I got the voice of a love-struck girl all right. I can't remember the last time that I scribbled in any journal about a guy. **

**But I will go on about Andrew Garfield :-D **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Eighteen and Fourteen

**Word Count**: 1K

* * *

><p><em>Romance is thinking about your significant other, when you are supposed to be thinking about something else. <em>

—**Nicholas Sparks**

* * *

><p><em>When did he got to be so cute? <em>Halley thought. She rested her chin in her arms on the kitchen table, watching Gabriel cook themselves breakfast. He'd gotten much taller, wider shoulders, and hearing him talk in his deeper voice was making her smile.

She had woken up that morning in Rory's room, and was very confused that her best friend wasn't there. She had left the room, wandering and wondering what was going on. Then she collided into Gabriel, who had just gotten out of the shower and was very much not the boy that she knew.

Mrs Wealsey had quickly intervened the rapid-growing confusion, and hastily explained everything as she was berating a redhead for sleeping in. Mr Weasley was off at work, and she had told them that she would be back soon. Halley still wasn't sure on several parts of the story. Luckily, Gabriel was apparently of age and she allowed him his wand.

Gabriel was separating the omelets with a spatula, seemingly obvious to any blushes and stammering that she was now doing. "Where were you before this happened?" he asked, and looked over his shoulder to see her.

"Y-Yule Ball's suppose to be tomorrow." Halley tried to keep her elbow from falling into the butter-dish. "Er, you?"

"Here. I was getting to go to practice the next day." He handed her a plate with a cheese omelets on it, and sat down across from her.

She was too nervous to eat. The confusion from the morning had left her for hungry answers instead of food. "Is there anything that you can tell me about my future?"

Gabriel smiled and she felt her heart skip a beat. He cradled his teacup, and spoke in a voice eerily similar to Professor Trelawney's. "Ah…I see a score of children, a pet dragon—"

"You're—you're just making things up!" accused Halley. She refused to believe that would be her future. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Eighteen," he answered proudly. "I just became a reserve chaser for Puddlemere." He watched her out of the corner of his eye, and tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry, but it's odd seeing you like this."

Halley looked down and prodded her omelet, and her face was now flushed. "How so?"

"Shorter," the smile teased over his lips for a moment. "Younger…innocent," he twirled his fork between his fingers. "I'm not used to seeing your hair so long."

Halley self-consciously played with a few strands of her hair. "What am I like in your time?"

Now Gabriel was blushing. "Oh, yeah…Halley, um, you and I are kind of involved. Bloody funny how in your time I can barely talk in your presence, now you're the one who's blushing and stammering, and in my time we're…"

Halley's eyes widened, and she was staring at the older wizard in shock. Her cup of tea sloshed over the table and dampened her omelet. "You and I?"

* * *

><p>"This is fun to watch," Aunt Rory said.<p>

Lily wrinkled her nose and went back to cutting the picture into a person. A bright side about staying at the Burrow during the school year was that there was always someone to help her with homework. "Me making paper dolls for history?"

"Nah," her aunt resumed cutting the paper with the dull pair of scissors. Sadly, like at home, homework had to be done the Muggle way. "Just seeing your mum with the schoolgirl crush. She was a lot more subtle during her Sixth Year."

"I think she finds Daddy to be charming. He's very polite to her, and she keeps looking like this." Lily mimicked the facial expressions of a gnome being tossed in the air.

Aunt Rory laughed. "That's a great one. And surprisingly accurate."

* * *

><p>"Can we just not tell her?" Gabriel asked his parents. "Please, this is the last time that Halley has any innocence. I don't want her to lose that."<p>

Mum and Dad looked over at each other, and were having one of those wordless conversations. "Are you sure?" Mum said. "You know how she doesn't like it when people hide things from her."

"But you know how she was like after Fourth Year." He slumped in his chair and covered his face with his hands. Halley was persistent with asking him certain questions that lead to Voldemort, and he could only think of so many ways to not answer them. "I got almost everyone to agree to this."

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?"<p>

Gabriel waved his wand to create an empty space in the living room. The chairs and couches were pushed back to the wall, and the wireless was turned on. "I'm giving you your Yule Ball."

Halley laughed. "I can't dance."

"Good," he pocketed his wand, and he held a hand out. "I also don't know how, and I also remember how you were during that dance."

"How bad was it?" she asked and retracted her hand from touching his. "Did Rory and Hector stopped arguing?"

"Well," he shook his head. "You are going to have to trust me, this will be loads better."

She grudgingly smiled and let him lured her out of the chair. He had both hands gingerly on her waist, and she had hers awkwardly on his shoulders. The music was slow and the only dance move that they did was some simple swaying.

"I don't know anything else," he confessed. "We don't go out dancing much."

"That's okay," she said and wondered what they did. "At least I don't have to worry about trying to keep up."

"And I'm not stepping on your feet," he added on a lighter note. She smiled and enjoyed how warm and happy he was making her feel.

"How did the Yule Ball go?" Halley looked up at him. "Did Fabris Delacour gave me my first kiss?" she joked.

"No, that didn't happened until later." He was focusing on the wireless. "Rory and Hector had a huge argument, Skeeter went after Hagrid, and I couldn't get the nerve to ask you to dance. It was a miserable night for several people. But you looked very pretty in your dress robes."

Halley slumped her shoulders. "That's pathetic. I was actually looking forward to that night. Even though Christopher said no, I thought that maybe…why didn't I say yes to you?"

"Because you're a masochist." Gabriel unexpectedly twirled her under his arm, and she made an 'oomph' as she bumped against his chest. "I also know how to do that."

Her downtrodden expression turned sour. "Excuse me?" she said as her long bangs felt in front of her eyes. He pushed it back, then...

Gabriel's lips were fiery warm and firm. Halley stood transfixed on the spot, and slackened her grip on his shoulders. Through her eyelashes she could see every freckle on his nose, and felt a wonderful dreamy feeling. _Wow, _she hazily thought.

Quicker than it should, he pulled back. "Your first kiss was actually wet, according to what you said. Under the mistletoe with Christopher Chang."

Halley fiddled with her glasses with one hand. The happiness felt like someone stepped on it. Instead she felt surprised that she even kissed Christopher, and a part of her was jealous that her older self could actually kiss Gabriel. "Wet? And isn't he dating Diggory?"

"That's the only detail I've heard," said Gabriel evasively.

"I think I prefer this one," she mumbled. "What was ours like?"

His face turned red, and he dropped his hands from her waist. "It was nice. Still is."

"And when did we started dating?"

"Your Sixth Year."

"I like getting answers," Halley said. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear, and looked down at her feet. Their dancing ended a while ago. "Gabriel, can you at least answer one more?"

"Sure," he said softly. He looked at her straight in the eye, and Halley could only see the bright brown colour. That shade of brown was similar to the colour of his freckles. "Anything you want."

"Can I get another kiss?"

Gabriel dropped the gaze. "A peck is one thing, but I'm now four years older than you…"

* * *

><p>"Hand it here," Mum had her hand out and Gabriel grudgingly gave her his wand. She kissed his forehead, and pulled his covers up as if he was younger and had a cold.<p>

"I hope we're closer to our real age tomorrow," he said glumly.

"Why's that?"

"I'm sure that it'll be nicer for all of you, and it feels ages since I've actually kissed her."

Mum sat down on his bed and smoothed his hair back. "You miss her, that's only natural. She misses you, too."


	76. Seven and Nine

**AN: I've noticed that more people are putting this on their favs and alerts list. Thanks! This arc itself has about two chapters left. **

**Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley: **Fluff like this? :-D This mini-arc will be ending soon, and you'll get some baby!fluff for that.

**Shadowbella987**: After this mini-arc, prepare for adorable babies.

**PsychoBrunette:** Thank you for all of those wonderful reviews. It's great to know that I'm keeping everyone in distinct character, because that is always the harder part. And I do love hitting people in the feels.

**This chapter was partially inspired by a scene from Moonrise Kingdom.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Seven and Nine

**Word Count**: 1K

* * *

><p><em>Out of all the people I've ever met you are the one who makes me draw those silly little hearts on my papers. <em>

—**Unknown**

* * *

><p>"Mummy, can you please charm this?"<p>

Molly looked away from her knitting and saw her little boy holding a piece of parchment. Gabriel looked over his shoulder to see Halley attempting to draw with a quill. His face broke out into a blush and he shuffled his feet. Molly took the parchment and smiled when saw words written in a childish scrawl. "What do you want me to make it do?"

"Can you make it fly to her?" he asked.

She traced a finger over the words 'I like you'. Underneath that were two stick-figures holding hands and were wearing giant grins. Her heart warmed at the fact that no matter what age those two could be, they still cared for each other. She tapped each corner with her wand and watched it flutter softly upwards. Gabriel's eyes followed it as it zoomed to Halley.

The girl let out a little gasp as she saw it floating above her head and gently fall to her hands. She silently read it and blushed a very bright red herself. Gabriel squeaked and tried to hide behind Molly and the rocking chair.

Halley walked over and peered behind Molly. "T-t-thank you," she muttered and looked down at her shoes.

Molly looked over her shoulder and gently nudged the boy out. "Go on," she said. "You can say something."

Gabriel tried to say something, but his ears were bright red at that point.

* * *

><p>Maybe she was getting too old for chasing children around the house? It was only the fourth day of this chaos and Molly was exhausted. She was emotionally because it was heartbreaking seeing Halley so innocent, and having to explain magic to her. She was physically tired because her son was a walking firework. He was always full of energy and sprouting off some idea for an adventure.<p>

The sad part was that Rory wasn't here to reel him in, and he and Halley were fascinated with each other. Molly didn't wanted to imagine what trouble those two could cause together. The proof alone was in their children.

"I wonder what we're like as big kids?" Gabriel asked. He chucked some chicken feed and watched the annoying animals scramble to get it. Mrs Weasley had told them that they can go feed the chickens, and then they could help her make a pie. Halley was very excited to do that because Aunt Petunia never wanted her to make a pie.

"I dunno," she said and buried her hands in the feed. She felt the letter that he gave her brush against her leg in her dress pocket, and her face warmed up. No one has ever given her a letter like that before. "What did your mum say again?"

"We got married," Gabriel ducked his head. "Do you like that?"

Halley thought about it. He was a nice boy with pretty hair, and he did wrote her a lovely letter. She wouldn't mind being married to him. She liked him loads more than the other boys in primary school. "I think I like that."

He gave her a toothy smile, and the surprised her by giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She jumped away, startled, and raised a hand to the spot. "Wha—what was that for?"

Confused, Gabriel tilted his head to the side. "I thought…you like me."

"I do," Halley said. "Why'd you kissed me?"

He groaned and kicked the bag of feed. "Because I like _you!_ That's what people who like each other do."

* * *

><p>"Careful," Mum said. She waved her wand to let the spoon stir by itself. "Do you need help breaking the egg?"<p>

"No," said Gabriel. He steadied himself on the stool, and raised the egg. His own bowl was surrounded with broken shells and runny yoke. He was also covered in flour and sugar. Halley, who was working next to him, had a very clean area and wore her apron like that, too. "How d'you do it so neatly?"

She shrugged. "Aunt Petunia likes a clean kitchen."

"That's boring. Mummy, can we—"

"No. You will not be having an egg-throwing contest."

* * *

><p>"What are those three up to?" Arthur looked up, hearing giggles. Lily had just came back from primary school, and wanted to play with her younger parents. He was very thankful that he didn't gave them their wands. The last time Lily got a hold of Rory's ended in disaster and a garden gnome on fire.<p>

"I try not to think about it," Molly said. She spread the artwork that the two made that day out on the table. There were several drawings of smiling stick-figures, suns, and even what looked like a motorbike. "Should I frame this?" she asked as she held up a poem that was written by Gabriel.

Arthur laughed once he was finished reading it. "He'll never speak to us for a week." He peered over her shoulder and picked up a drawing. "We should also frame this one." It appeared to be a picture of their entire family and the Burrow in the distance.

* * *

><p>Halley laughed as the hammock swung higher. It almost felt like she was flying! Gabriel said that they could go flying on real brooms, but his mum said no, and that she wouldn't be chasing them as they flew away. Then Gabriel has the idea of playing on the hammock.<p>

He set his arms down, panting. He insisted that he would push it, and now he was really red. "Wish we can go flying."

Halley rolled to her side and fixed her crooked glasses. "We can go on this together."

There was no hesitation as he grabbed hold on the swinging mass of rope, and crawled up right next to her. There was still some momentum left, and Halley was getting dizzy from being swung side-by-side. He sided up next to her, and his smile was just as bright as the sun. They laughed and collapsed next to each other in a fit of giggles.

"I like this," Halley said breathlessly. "I want to stay here."

And Gabriel kissed her. It was clumsy and took her by complete surprise. His lips were sticky from the pie, but felt very warm.

"You're not afraid of getting cooties?" she joked.

* * *

><p>"Mummy, can we get married?"<p>

Arthur spilled some of tea and hissed as the hot liquid hit his hand. He looked towards the doorway to see Halley and Gabriel holding hands. They had sunburned cheeks, but were smiling widely. "I'm sorry?" he said.

Molly set her knitting needles down on the table. Her eyes went very wide. "Married?" she echoed.

Lily ran down the stairs, and looked very happy with the news. "Oh!" she jumped up and down. "I want to be the flower girl!"

* * *

><p>"Mrs Weasley?"<p>

"Yes, sweetie?"

"How old will I be tomorrow?"

"How old do you want to be?"

"Older."

* * *

><p>"But I want to marry her!" Gabriel insisted He protested when Molly tucked the covers under his chin. "I really, really like her."<p>

"You're just going have to be a little bit older," she advised.

"Its not fair," he grumbled. "I like her."


	77. Seventeen and Fifteen

**AN: This idea really intrigues me. Hmm… Anyway, this has references to chapter 56 and to previous winter-related chapters. Those allusions should be obvious later on.**

**Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley: **Master of the Fluff/Master of the Fluff…I'm on a Les Mis kick, don't mind me.

**Prime**: How does Teddy sound?

**OCD Manga Geek**: They can be rather adorable. Thanks!

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Seventeen and Fifteen

**Word Count**: 1K

* * *

><p><em>In dreams, I meet you in warm conversation <em>

_We both wake in lonely beds, and different cities _

_And time is taking its sweet time erasing you_

_And you've got your demons and darling they all look like me _

—**Sad Beautiful Tragic, Taylor Swift**

* * *

><p>Halley gave the colourful boy an odd look. "You're supposed to be Remus Lupin's son?"<p>

He smiled in a way that reminded her painfully of Sirius. "And Tonks'. Apparently that's supposed to make me extremely charming and book smart."

Gabriel snorted from across the table.

"Hey," Teddy said, looking over to the redhead. "I'm now older than you, my word is law until Molly comes back."

"You're still the newborn who spit out an entire bottle of milk at my face," said Gabriel. "And, technically, Halley's your godmother, so she's in charge of you."

* * *

><p>It was an even more exhausting week for Molly and Arthur. Within the second, and hopefully, last week of the experience, she started to give family members shift for taking care of Halley and Gabriel. That consisted of taking their wands unless they were of age, and chaperoning them unless they were both adults. Mostly the two shifted between their teenage and younger years, and that was what gave Molly and Arthur the most grief.<p>

It was thankful that their son and daughter-in-law were adults a few days ago, but that didn't last long when the next morning that they became toddlers again. Then they were found under Gabriel's bed after a bad storm, and were teenagers again.

Molly floo'ed Teddy to come over to watch them, and pointedly told him that she and Arthur were going to have a day off.

* * *

><p>"What do you two want to do?" Teddy asked them. He was sitting on the kitchen counter and nibbling on a biscuit that Mrs Weasley left. "We can play Quidditch? Save the world? Go to Wheezes?"<p>

Halley buried her head in her arms, and was in inwardly groaning. Her ideal plan was to go off and brood in some dark corner. The grief from Sirius' death and the looming prophecy only made her wanted to curl up somewhere and scream.

She caught Gabriel looking at her again. He turned away and spoke to Teddy. "How about we just relax, I didn't sleep well the other night."

Neither of them did. It was a surprise to suddenly wake up under a bed with Rory's little brother who somehow became two years older. They were younger the other day and were almost inseparable, according to Mrs Weasley. There was bad thunderstorm that night, and Gabriel retreated to under the bed to hide. She could still feel the phantom feeling of his arm bent around her waist.

"I think I want to go take a kip," Halley said. She proved her point by pretending to yawn.

"You two are so boring!" her godson scoffed. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Halley raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want an answer?"

* * *

><p>"He's really sassy," commented Gabriel. He looked over his shoulder to where the Burrow was and continued walking. "Reminds me of a happier Sirius."<p>

Halley winced at the words. She bunched her hands in her pockets and stared straight ahead. One too many sarcastic words from her had sent them both off to the village to get food for dinner that night. Gabriel knew the village well, and Halley knew how Muggle money worked. Before they left, Teddy told them to best behave.

Prat.

"Sorry," Gabriel frowned. "I forgot that it's all…fresh for you." He rubbed his eyes and stopped walking. "How are you holding up?"

Halley smiled blithely, and spread her hands out. "I don't want to answer that," she said in a tight voice.

"It can't be an easy day for you," he stated the obvious. He folded his arms across his chest, waiting for a response from her. "Do you want any reassuring answers about what happens to you in two years?"

Halley snorted and resumed walking. How could anything help her morose mood? Her friends were all grown up, some of her friends died, but at least the war was over. "I'm going to forget everything in a day, so why would it matter?"

* * *

><p>"He's cute," the girl at the register said, and she placed some eggs in the paper bag. "Are you dating him?"<p>

Halley scowled and handed over the cash. "I have no idea who you're talking about."

"The redhead."

Halley looked over her shoulder to see Gabriel walking over. Was he cute? Halley thought about it. He was the opposite of Christopher Chang in looks. Chang had a more delicate beauty that consisted of contrasting blacks and whites. Gabriel, on the other hand, had a stronger build. His colouring was brighter, all reds and golds.

Truthfully, Halley felt nothing for Chang now. It felt like a completely different era of time when she had a crush on him. With Gabriel, though, he was obviously not the same boy that she once knew. She was trying not to be biased by the fact she ended up marrying Gabriel, but she couldn't deny that she felt some attraction. _He also has a nice smile_, she added when he sent one at her.

"Hey," he said. "I think that's everything. You good?"

* * *

><p>"What's the last memory that you have?" Halley asked as they walked back up to the Burrow.<p>

Gabriel shifted his brown bag in his arms, blocking his face from view. "Taking a kip on the train. Winter Holiday just started, and I was really, really looking forward to it."

"Got me anything good for Christmas?"

There was an awkward, pregnant pause of silence. The bag of food made it impossible to see what expression was on his face. "A…a necklace," he mumbled.

Halley tried not to make a face and to keep her voice even. "A necklace?"

"It has a snitch on it." Gabriel's eyes peeked over the bag. "I thought it would be nice."

"I'm sure I will," Halley said. She looked at him again and noticed how bright red his ears were. "There's more to that present, isn't there?"

* * *

><p>"You are a sullen teenager," Teddy said.<p>

Gabriel flicked some popcorn at him. "Lay off."

"What?" Teddy dodged another kernel. "I'm only pointing out the obvious. You taught me that."

Out of boredom they were all making popcorn with various kinds of toppings. Teddy was particularly fond of covering his with three different kinds of chocolate and peanut butter. Gabriel added only one kind of chocolate, and Halley preferred only butter and salt.

"It can be worst," Halley said dryly. She licked some melted butter off her thumb. "I could be the type that dyes their hair, wears black clothing, and has authority issues."

"That's two out of three." Gabriel jokingly gestured to her dark shirt with his wooden spoon.

Halley playfully slapped his shoulder. "Bugger off, Weasley. I've been told about the rebellion that you started."

"That's what I don't get," Teddy pointed at the two of them. "You," he said to Halley, "you broke into the Ministry more than once. And you," to Gabriel, "started a full-scale rebellion. And I'm _still_ not allowed to be alone in the same room with my girlfriend."

* * *

><p>Gabriel slipped Halley her wand and stepped back. "Come on," he said, brandishing his out. "Let's duel."<p>

She uncertainly rolled her wand between her fingers, relinquishing the familiarity of the wood. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," the look on his face was fierce. "I know you, and the only way to get you out of it is either by talking or by action."

"What if I don't want to duel you?"

"Your lost," he said, and then fired a spell at her.

Out of paranoid reflex, Halley managed to block the spell with a quick Shield Charm. Steadying her movements, they began to fight. The extra two years had gave him an edge with experience, but she soon found out that his duelling style was similar to Rory's. The only problem was that he was fond of using non-verbal spells. And there wasn't much time between each spell to tell which could counteract which.

He also was loads better than his Fourth Year self. They were moving closer instead of further apart, their spells becoming thicker in the air.

"Come on, Potter!" Gabriel goaded. "Where's the damn scary duelist that I know and love?"

Halley laughed breathlessly and shouted. _"Expelliarmus!" _

Her spell caught him at the knees and he toppled to the ground and on his back. His wand was still in his hand, but Halley, filled with adrenaline, lunged over him and tackled him for his wand. There was a flurry of struggling arms and grappling fingers, but Halley soon had him pinned to the ground. Her knees were straddling his hips and her hands pushing onto his chest. Their wands were scattered nearby, long forgotten.

"I won," Halley gasped. She felt his chest rise and fall under her hands, his heart beating at a fast tempo. Gabriel smiled lazily at her, and she was struck with the sudden need to do something rash, something without any thinking.

_Like snogging the living daylights out of the guy that I marry. _

"Yeah." There was a blazing look in his eyes. "You won." He raised his head closer—

"Oi!" Teddy shouted. He strolled off the porch steps of the Burrow and whistled sharply. "As much as I love the guy, I don't want Jimmy to be conceived early. "


	78. Thirty-Seven and Thirty-Eight

**AN: Thus ends this mini-arc, and will be resuming the usual vignettes. I'm now working on another fic that deals with reincarnation for the two called _Red String and Peridot_, but I don't know when it'll be out.**

**I also know that you guys want to see family stuff next, any specifications? **

**Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley: **That's how I try to write Teddy. I've always pictured him as one of those people. He's also treated as the baby of the Weasley family.

**Potteralltheway64**: I was partially inspired by an episode of How I Met Your Mother. Though they used 'bagpipes'.

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Thirty-Seven and Thirty-Eight

**Word Count**: 1K

* * *

><p>"<em>Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." <em>

― **James Baldwin**

* * *

><p>Jimmy squirmed in the Conjured chair. Staying still for a long period of time was never a strong suit, especially when he was feeling nervous. "Mum, you look positively younger!"<p>

The flattery failed on his mother. She was leaning against the Headmistress' desk, her arms crossed over her chest. The potion that Jimmy and Al gave to their parents had finally worn off recently, and they were here at Hogwarts to dispose justice the parental way. "How old do you feel, dear?" she asked their father.

Dad was standing behind Jimmy and Al, his hands clamped over the back of each chair. Jimmy never realised how tall his father was until now. "Let me think," Dad leaned in between his sons' heads. "What's the proper age for disciplining children?"

"Any age?" Al chimed in weakly.

Mum sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Jimmy noticed, with some relief, that she was wearing her wedding and engagement ring. A quick look showed that his dad also wore his. That alone proved that the very prank ended. Then that one good feeling was eclipsed when he saw his parents' stern faces.

"Can you believe that was all the cause of a mix-up?" Jimmy said softly, he tried to go for the puppy eyes, but his mum's gaze was as sharp as steel.

"And can you believe how grounded you two are?" she said.

"It was all Jimmy's idea." That was now Al's catchline these days. "I'm an innocent bystander in all of this."

"Let's remember what Grandmum and Granddad gave you," Dad stood up to his gigantic height. "No dessert for a very long time, you're on kitchen duty for a long time, and you two will always be 'volunteered' for getting rid of the garden gnomes."

"I think we've learned a lesson from this," Al added after a beat. "Pranks are a very bad thing to get mixed up in."

Dad looked at Mum, and they had one of those scary, quiet conversations that could last for eons in a single glance. "I say we go with your idea."

Mum smiled, and Jimmy wondered if it was the same one that she gave to the wizards that she sent to Azkaban. "Brilliant." She pushed herself off the desk and gave her sons a kiss on their foreheads. "Have a good day, you two!"

Dad ruffled their hair. "See you during the Winter Hols!"

Then they left. Just like that.

Jimmy and Al looked over their shoulders and out the door to where their parents left.

"Okay," Al said. "What is our punishment exactly?"

"I have no idea."

"I'm scared."

"Me, too."

They waited more in silence, and jumped when their dad walked up again. "One more thing," he said to Jimmy. "You can thank Teddy that you were not conceived early."

* * *

><p>Halley leaned against Gabriel's shoulder, and they walked the green of Hogwarts. Morning classes were still in session, and not many students would stop to goggle at them. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and kissed her cheek. "Brings back any good memories?"<p>

She looked around, clearly thinking back to their secluded time when dating. She smiled. "Those were the days…Dark Lords out for blood, trying not to fail potions, snogging under a tree…"

"When do you think they'll realise that we're not going to punish them?" he asked. The look on his face reminded Halley of Jimmy's too well.

"I given then a hour—two, tops." She intertwined their fingers and swung them back and forth. "The looks on their faces!" she laughed.

"It's worth every second for being stuck as a teenager."

"It wasn't that bad, right?" Halley asked. "Sure there were some arguments and crazed hormones, but we got through it in the end."

"Pity that we can't remember much," said Gabriel with a teasing smile. "Mum thought it was cute when you were ogling at an older me."

"Oh, shut up," she blushed. "Not my fault that you became incredibly charming when you matured. She thought it was just _adorable_ when you were eleven and I was eighteen."

"Can we not talk about how embarrassing it was that I had that crush on you?"

Halley bumped her should against his. "Fine. When do you get back to work?"

"They want me there tonight for a meeting. New season starting up, and it's going to be _fun." _The sarcasm wasn't lost on her. "You?"

"First thing tomorrow," she said. "They want me to be there bright and early for training the recruits. They're a fresh batch and are waiting to be broken in."

"That's my wife!" laughed Gabriel. "Terrorising the poor trainees before they face anymore danger."

"Hey," Halley drew circles on his palm. "Teddy was joking about Jimmy being conceived early, right?"

"I…" he thought more on it. "Let's not ever ask, and go straight home."

She raised his hand and kissed it. The action caused him to encircle his other arm around her and to pull her in closer. _"Yes,_ it feels like ages since…"

"Don't answer that," Gabriel kissed her soundly on her mouth. "Please don't."

Halley laughed against his lips. "Then let's get going, Weasley."


	79. Heredity and Timing

**AN: La, la, la. I'm waiting for the City of Bones trailer to come out TONIGHT. And the next person who dares to mention Twilight near me will be at the end of an angry rant**.

**Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley**: This does have the tendency to be interesting, and random, and unusual, and fluffy, and…

**Random**: I do enjoy that arc more than the previous one, more fluff. And updates are coming.

**ShadowBella**: My parents would do that when I was younger. It worked.

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Heredity and Timing

**Word Count**: 474

* * *

><p><em>"I love how babies look like old people. I saw a baby the other day that looked exactly like my grandpa, only taller."<em>

**― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale**

* * *

><p>Halley collapsed on their bed. "Sleep!"<p>

"Thank Merlin," Gabriel groaned next to her. He brushed a hand over her arm and cuddled next to her. He spooned his front against her back, sighing happily. It was the most affectionate and physical contact that they've had in over a month.

"James'll cry soon," Halley reminded him. She let out a breathy laugh as he began to kiss down her neck. "We have no time."

"So? It's too early in the morning." Gabriel propped his head up on an elbow and smiled lazily. "Let's make the most of it." He brushed his mouth over the shell of her ear and skimmed to her mouth. "What do you say?"

"Two seconds," she murmured against his lips.

Soon enough, their son let out an ear-splitting cry from his room. Gabriel rolled off Halley, groaning. "This isn't fair…"

"I think he gets it from your side," she said thoughtfully, and sat up.

"My side? Does that mean that anything angelic James does is because of your genetics?"

Halley stretched her arms out and pulled her dressing gown on. The baby was probably hungry, again. Already he rivalled his cousin Fred for the amount of feedings in a day. "No, James reminds me of Rory. He already has her nose."

Gabriel made a face. "Bollocks."

Halley quickly left the room and came back with James who was no longer crying. The baby was only a little more than a month old, and already loved being the centre of attention. He clung tightly to his mother's arm, refusing to be let go.

"I have an idea," she said, looking fondly at her son.

Gabriel sat up and watched James snuggle in her arms. "Should I even ask?"

Halley smiled in a way that made her sleep-deprived face looked scary. "How about we go give your sister a wake up call?"

He jumped out of bed. "I'll get the Floo ready!"


	80. Permission

**AN: Eh, I needed to write something happy and wistful for the 80 chapter. And quick. Thanks to those who left reviews. Now why can I write like a nutcase for this, and not for NaNoWriMo?**

**I'm not sorry for constantly filling your inboxes lately :-)**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Permission

**Word Count**: 650

* * *

><p><em>And I am short on words<em>

_Knowing what's occurred_

**― Ungodly Hour, Fray**

* * *

><p>"Uh, hi? This is a little awkward." Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck and peered down a the tombstone. The white marble was beginning to show signs of ageing, and dried flowers stood by the engravings. Next to it stood a darker twin—an empty grave with a simple engraving of a paw print.<p>

_I knew I forgot something_, he thought. He raised his wand to Conjure a flower, but it felt wrong to do that for them. They deserved better than that. Or maybe he was just over thinking it?

"Words usually come a whole lot easier, but I don't know how to…" Frustrated, Gabriel tapped his fingers on his thigh to get himself back on the beat. "Right, I…Halley says that you guys can listen, right? Right, well, I'm sure that you are all enjoying seeing me make an arse of myself—especially you, Sirius."

He paused and imagined the ex-convict laughing at that moment. The summer before his Fourth Year was when Sirius cornered him and interrogated on what Halley looked for in a potential wizard. Frightened, Gabriel was soon on the end of getting dating advice that would never work on her. At least Remus was able to intervene and to set everything straight.

"What I'm trying to say is that," Gabriel croaked, "I love your daughter, and I would have no bloody idea on how she would react to why I'm here." He fumbled for something on his jacket pocket and fiddled with a small box. "I—I bought her a ring recently, and traditionally I know that the wizard is suppose to be asking permission, but how can I do that? And it's _Halley._ She's not one for tradition. She likes to poke at it in the eye and dare it try something.

"Still feels like I should do this. Not fair that you lot couldn't spend much time involved with her, and I thought that you would appreciate this. You know? Uh, do I have your permission?"

Gabriel slid the box back inside his jacket and waited for a sign. He wasn't sure what because he was utter bollocks at Divination, but anything that could help ease his nerves would be wonderful. After some time of consideration, he rambled again.

"I love her," he repeated. "I really do love her. Halley is one of the strongest, noble, and heroic people that I know. She's an unstoppable force, you know. And she has a beautiful laugh, and I'll always try to make her do that if she marries me. I also thought that you will all exact revenge on me from the grave when we slept together, and I'm just still rambling, aren't I? Because when I stopped by Felicity's grave on the way here, I'm sure that she dropped a few acorns on my head to shut me up."

He took a deep breath and realised that his face was red. "Hell, I like envisioning a future with her. I'm bloody mad about her, might as well been that way since I was ten. Still have the horrid book of written poetry to prove it. I really need to stop talking now."

Shifting his weight from one foot to another, Gabriel suddenly felt very small. "D'you think she'll say yes?"


	81. Primary Lesson

**AN: Right, you guys wanted to see family!fluff? Something quick because I have writer's block.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Primary Lesson

**Word Count**: 382

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><p><em>A child is a curly dimpled lunatic.<em>

**~Ralph Waldo**

* * *

><p>"Don't leave me!" Jimmy begged. He clamped his arms around Halley's leg, his brown eyes were very tearful as he looked up at her.<p>

Halley gently pried him off her, and bent down to brush the tears off his face. She spoke soothingly. "You're going to love primary school."

"D-did you?"

She couldn't answer that, but Gabriel had thankfully intervened. He knelt down next to Halley and handed their son his lunchbox. "I bet that if I went to primary school I would love it very much."

Jimmy looked down at his lunchbox, scowling. He handed it back to Gabriel. "You can go."

Halley tried not to laugh as her husband stood to his full height, and pantomimed walking to the school gates. "Off I go," he said. Lily giggled from the inside of her buggy, and Al quickly ran to join him.

Jimmy looked crossed at the change of attention. "Daddy's too old to go!"

Halley also stood up, and stretched her back. She grabbed hold of the buggy, and looked over to her oldest. "Then come on, kiddo."

Gabriel gave Jimmy back his lunchbox and picked Al up in his arms. He stepped back to let Halley catch up with him. "Will he be fine?" he asked in a worried whisper.

She shrugged her shoulders. She had no reason to worry because Jimmy was a charismatic boy who could make friends easily. He would do just fine at school. "Much better time than I had."

He held her hand with his left, and held onto Al tighter with his right. "You don't have to grow up," he told him. "Feel free to stay young for as long as you like."

Al buried his head in his Dad's collarbone. "You silly, Daddy."

"We all are," Halley said when they continued walking behind Jimmy. "Don't worry, you're just as mad as everyone else in this family."

Lily made a gasping sound.


	82. Firstborn

**AN: Thanks to everyone who left reviews, and are new watchers/fans. You can always drop by more reviews filled with your wonderful ideas. This chapter was heavily inspired of a baby photo of mines.**

**I also wrote a new fic called Faces, fans of Facets will like it a lot.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Firstborn

**Word Count**: 438

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><p><em>We are family…<em>

**~What's that blasted song called again?**

* * *

><p>"Hi, there," Gabriel gingerly held the newborn in his arms. Exhaustion and excitement fought against each other as he was holding his baby son for the third time. Halley was asleep in the hospital bed next to him, and he himself was holding James in a large chair.<p>

Ten perfect fingers, ten perfect toes, and a mess of red hair. The blue eyes and the shape of the nose already reminded Gabriel of Rory, but his mum told him that the eyes would probably change within a year.

He brushed his thumb lightly down the soft side of James' face. The baby flickered his pretty eyes and went back to some semblance of sleep. "You made your mummy very tired," Gabriel whispered. He looked over to Halley, smiling. "You did great, dear."

Halley mumbled something that wasn't comprehensive. Maybe it was a leftover insult from when she was giving birth? She had spewed plenty of those. He looked back to James and was in awe of seeing such tiny movements. An itty-bitty mouth would pucker, pink cheeks would concave, and his small chest would push outward against the blanket.

"You are so pretty," continued Gabriel. He yawned. "And you'll be making Mummy and Daddy very sleepy and grumpy, so I should enjoy this rare moment."

He cradled James close to his chest, and watched the baby make small puffs of air ripple over his shirt. _I'm a dad_, he thought_. Either I'm getting the barmy dreams now, or this is definitely real._ He twitched the thumb of the hand that Halley broke, and could still feel the stiffness. _Nope, real._ "I'm not imagining you, Jamie," Gabriel said out loud.

"I could," Halley moaned softly from the bed. She tilted her head to face him. Her eyes were blurred and dark shadows ringed them. She gave them both a weary smile. "Maddest…pregnancy…dream…ever…"

"Feels pretty real, doesn't it?" Gabriel reclined his seat and shut his eyes. Warmth radiated from the swaddled bundle on his chest, and he placed a light kiss on James' forehead. "Love you, both."


	83. Misplaced Merchandise

**AN: Here's some of the Weasley family.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Misplaced Merchandise

**Word Count**: 607

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><p><em>Too lazy to find a quote<em>

**~Zadi**

* * *

><p>"Georgia, how and why do you have diluted Amortentia?" Hector held up translucent bag filled with a pearly-pink powder. They, Gabriel and Halley were helping Georgia at the shop that day. Too exercise that power, she made them all do the maintenance, checking the supplies, and they all had to wear the uniform.<p>

They got their revenge by pointing out whatever she overlooked. It was quickly annoying her whenever they pointed out a new regulation.

Rory stopped shelving some merchandise that were trying to bite her fingers, and raised an eyebrow to look at her older sister. "You have what?"

Georgia fiddled with the sleeve of her horrendous robe. "Why does it even matter to you two?"

"Auror."

"Ministry worker."

"Oi!" She narrowed her eyes at them. "No fun you lot are. And it's for the Patented Daydream Charms, how else is it suppose to show a desire that you want?"

Hector handed the bag to Rory who examined it. He did enjoyed seeing her switch to her work mode, it was very fascinating seeing her piece together facts for a case.

She opened the bag and rubbed some of the powder between her thumb and forefinger. "Pretty weak stuff," she commented. "Hate to see how it'll bloody react to whatever you have lying around."

Georgia scowled and placed her hands on her hips. "And I am careful. Dearest little sister, have you ever seen me mess up?"

"I've see plenty of explosions over the years," Hector interjected. He looked around the shop, his eyebrows bunched together. 'Where are Halley and Gabriel? They went to the storage room, and they never came out."

Rory covered her face with her hands, groaning. She turned to Georgia and raised her hands in the air. She was forced to make the supplies list for that every week. "Great, you'll be responsible for making us into aunts!"

Before Hector could ask what could make the potion more potent in that room, Rory stormed off in that direction.

* * *

><p>"Hey, are you okay?" Halley gaped at Gabriel as if this was the first time she saw him. Her gaze slowly trailed from his feet and to head, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "Halley?" he asked again, stepping closer. He raised his hand to his forehead, she wasn't warm but what could explain the glassy look in her eyes?<p>

Gabriel only left to grab a box and came back to see her covered in a glittery powder. She took his hand, her mouth grazed over his knuckles and she flipped his hand over to press her lips on his opened palm.

"Halley, what are you—" The kiss on his mouth was searing to the touch. Slender hands flew up to the collar of his shirt, tugging at the fabric. One of her legs was straddled at his hip, the other pressed against his trembling thigh. Gabriel moaned her name.

Dazed, he was overwhelmed with the taste and feel of her, and smelled the shampoo of her hair, the fresh leather of Quidditch supplies…

She started to undo the buttons of his shirt—and the door slammed open with a loud bang. Rory stood by the door, her magenta robes were billowing dramatically behind her. "I need to stop walking in on you two like this," and she made a face. "I'll be getting nightmares soon enough."


	84. Burns and Romantics

**AN: Thanks to everyone who left reviews. Anyone got any specific scenes that you want to see next? And I mean specific, like a certain holiday setting? A child asking an awkward question?**

**I've also learned that writing fluff is a great way to de-stress.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Burns and Romantics

**Word Count**: 637

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><p><em>The sense of the world is short,<em>

_Long and various the report,_

_To love and be beloved;_

_Men and gods have not outlearned it,_

_And how oft soe'er they've turned it,_

_'Tis not to be improved._

**~Eros, Ralph Waldo Emerson**

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><p>"How bad does it look?" Gabriel shuffled into the bedroom. He was only wearing a pair of boxers—every inch of skin above the waistline was a shade of burning red that could make a phoenix ruffle its feathers in jealousy. He stiffly held his arms out for Halley to inspect.<p>

She lightly pressed her hand to his chest. Gabriel inhaled sharply at the touch, and when she pulled her hand away she could see the lighter imprint. "It looks quite bad," Halley said, frowning. "Anything I can do?"

He did an imitation of shrugging his shoulders—it was a jerky movement of his arms. "I dunno. Is there some secret Auror spell that can fix this?"

Halley wrapped her index and thumb finger around his wrist. "Sorry, Gabriel. How about you go take a kip instead?" He grumbled, but complied to her request. Painfully, he let her help him move to the bed, and complained that their honeymoon shouldn't be involving this.

He tried to show his appreciation by kissing her, but even that was over to be difficult with his face being even redder than anything else. Gabriel hissed through his teeth and admitted defeat when falling his head back onto a pillow. "Bugger, I hate this."

"It was a romantic idea," she mused as she laid down near him. Her fingers hovered down his arm. Gabriel's eyes were fascinated with seeing the gold band on her left finger. He still couldn't get over the fact that they were now married. "Still is."

"Then you married a very dumb romantic, Potter."

"It's Weasley," Halley held onto his hand. "And I love dumb romantics just as much as I love tall blokes with red hair."

He laughed hoarsely. "I should keep any of my cousins away from you."

She leaned over to give him a quick kiss on his chapped lips. "Get some sleep, I'll stop by the apothecary for a potion to help you."

Gabriel closed his eyes and felt her leave the bed.

He woke up later to the feel of something cool being applied to his too small skin. It reminded him of the scar ointment that he used to put on his scars, but this one felt delightfully cooler and it smelled much nicer. Almost like mint. He let out a sigh and enclosed his hand around her smaller one. "Can I marry you again?"

He heard her shift her weight on the bed and moved closer. "Promise not to get another sunburn on our second honeymoon?"

"You bet," said Gabriel. "We can stay indoors the entire time. I wouldn't mind." Her laugh made him smile. He opened his eyes to see her leaning over him again. He looked down at his chest and noticed the thick layer of minty green. "I don't think it goes well with my hair. It clashes terribly."

Halley rolled her eyes. The green in them were brighter without her glasses. "How do you feel now?"

"Brand new," he raised his aching arms and smiled fully. "Can I have a kiss to make it feel better?"


	85. Jingle Bells

**AN: So far there will be a Christmas chapter, a Halley-Rory friendship, a reunion type for Hogwarts, and one about the telling the kids about their names. Thanks, guys. These'll keep me busy for a while.**

**This is a combination of two of them.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Jingle Bells

**Word Count**: 784

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><p><em>"Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present."<em>

**― John Green, Looking for Alaska**

* * *

><p>Gabriel sided up behind Halley and laced his fingers together around her stomach. She leaned over the bathroom sink, her hands leaning heavily on the marble. Her reflection was pale in the mirror, bringing out the few grey strands. Halley seemed fixated and surprised with seeing her appearance. "Hey," he murmured, brushing a few pieces away from her face. "Feeling better?"<p>

She shook her head no and fiddled with turning the faucet knob on. She splashed some cold water over her face, and then turned around to face him. Halley rested against Gabriel's folded hands and raked her fingers through her hair roughly. "No. I'm spending Christmas sick in the bathroom, I actually think I feel worst."

Gabriel studied her face and her striking eyes, and then he lowered his gaze down her body. He let go of her back with one hand and brushed it gently over her stomach. "Hard to believe that in a few months…"

"Yeah," she croaked. "Thought we'd got over that when Jimmy was in there."

"How should we tell him anyway?"

Halley held onto his hand, thinking. "Well, how did we told Teddy?"

"I briefly remember it involving cats." Gabriel teasingly brushed a kiss over her lips, and then pulled her into a loose hug. "Want to stick with it as a Christmas present?"

"I'll like that," she said. "Is he still downstairs with Rory and Hector?"

They untangled and he opened the bathroom door. He poked his head out to listen what was happening downstairs. "They're trying to tell him that Rose is not a toy."

Halley covered her mouth with her hands. "He's going to be such an older brother."

* * *

><p>"Aunty Wory," Jimmy poked at his cousin's stomach, making her giggle. "Can we fwy?"<p>

Rory pretended to think about it for a moment. Hector sat very still next to her, eyes wide at probably imagining the horrifying scene of a boy barely of two years on a high-end broom with a baby. Therapy may be next. "Sorry, Jimmy, wait until she's a little bit older."

Hector let out a small sigh of relief. "How old are we talking about?"

Rory flashed him a smile. "Walking age."

He was saved from having a panic attack of his little girl being in the air when Halley and Gabriel were entering the room. Halley had quickly left during the middle of a conversation, and had looked very green, and Rory's little brother in a hurry to follow. She knew too well what was the cause, and Teddy was such an adorable little babbler.

"Mummy!" Jimmy ran away from his cousin and into Halley's arms. "Aunty Wory gave me chowate fwog!" He held the sticky, half-eaten treat up for her to see. Poor Halley looked as though she was going to need to visit the bathroom again.

Gabriel collected his son and told him that it was time to go to bed.  
>Hector took also Rosie in his arms and told them that he would be freeing her bottle in the kitchen. Rory was thankful that they were going to give her and Halley some alone time. Once the coast was clear, she helped herself to a small thimble of wine.<p>

"Mate, you get the bloody worst end of the pregnancies. You're sick more than all of us womenfolk combined, any wondrous sweets and treacle tart make you turn more green than that Christmas Tree."

Halley flopped down on the couch next to her and groaned. "Jimmy's barely two."

"Rosie'll get a playmate," Rory said and took another sip. "That's not too bad."

"We're not ready to be parents again," Halley said.

"Cheers," Rory raised her glass. "No one ever bloody is." She looked fondly in the direction of the kitchen. "If it helps, we just got Rosie to stop screaming murder every night."


	86. Family Pains

**AN: Okay, someone wanted Daisy again, more Patented Daydream Charms, a reunion type for Hogwarts, and one about the telling the kids about their names.**

**This chapter was inspired by a prompt by Randommoo92.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Family Pains

**Word Count**: 650

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><p><em>"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."<em>

**― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring**

* * *

><p>Daisy Dursley was surrounded by redheads, a blond, and a single brunette. Shocked, she had no clue what to expect when entering the waiting room, and now she was getting idea of what her cousin's family was like. Though they were all ignoring her, and Halley's husband was talking to her in her room with their son.<p>

There was a very tall witch who gave Daisy dark glares, a bushy-haired wizard holding Halley's baby whose facial expression was very stern, and an oddly familiar witch with flat hair on one side was giving Daisy a venomous look. The other's were more awkward and vaguely attempted something.

Daisy was sitting in one of the uncomfortable chairs, and a baby with shocking red hair was in her lap. A handsome blonde wizard asked her in his light accent to watch the baby so that he could go to the bathroom.

The baby was a big thing with a fuzzy head of hair and a light dash of freckles over his—or her—nose. It kept making these noises, and was moving too much. Daisy was frightened and had no idea what to do.

"Would you like some help?" a matronly, round witch asked. She also had red hair but was streaked with grey. She held her arms out and Daisy willingly relinquish the squirming baby. The witch cooed and stroke the baby's face. "Dominique is a fussy baby. She doesn't take kindly to strangers."

Daisy wrung her pale fingers, feeling rather meek. It was rather easy to feel that way when everyone in the room could turn her into a pig with swish of their sticks. "Is…is Halley all right?"

The witch shifted the gurgling baby to her hip, the kind expression on face changed to a more stern one. "She didn't caught all of the blast, but she'll be needing bed rest." She rolled her eyes at the idea. "That won't stop Halley from trying."

Daisy awkwardly eyed the door that was near. The guilty feeling was gnawing at her even more. She almost broke down in rambles on the drive here, but the stony look on Gabriel Weasley's face made her quiet.

"I'm Halley's mother-in-law," the witch said. "I'm Molly Weasley. I can imagine that this must be a shock for you."

Daisy blankly looked at the freckled hand. "Why are you even being nice to me?"

* * *

><p>Halley's eyes were sharp and cutting. "What are you doing here?"<p>

Gabriel placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Dear…"

She wrenched away and Daisy saw shiny, pink skin peeping under the shift that Halley wore. "You have a lot of nerve, Dursley. What gives you the bloody right to walk in here?"

Daisy backed herself into the wall against her cousin's glare. This was becoming oddly familiar from eons ago. Any second now she'll probably be getting a pig's tail. "I wanted to apologise." Her voice sounded too far away.

Halley tried to get out of her bed, but Gabriel was persistent. "Please, the Healer says that you shouldn't move."

"I don't care!" Halley insisted. She turned her green eyes onto her cousin, and spoke louder. "I don't accept your apology."


	87. Patented Daydream Charm—Take Two

**AN: Now for some comedy, and was this quick enough? Happy early Thanksgiving!**

**This chapter was also inspired by a prompt by Randommoo92.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Patented Daydream Charm Take Two

**Word Count**: 831

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><p><em>"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."<em>

**― William Shakespeare, Hamlet**

* * *

><p><em>Georgia will pay,<em> Gabriel murderously thought. _But at least I'm not wearing a skirt._

What even convinced him to take the Patented Daydream Charm again? The first time was some fairytale, and now it was just plain barmy. He took the charm to skive off more studying, and his scenery in the Gryffindor Common Room didn't change much—except for the fact that everyone was the opposite gender.

The biggest clue was Hector sitting nearby with longer hair and wearing a skirt.

She was writing a long letter to Rory, as the furious scribbles and mutterings meant. Gabriel wondered half-heartily what it would be like to have an older brother. The rest of the scene became even more obvious when Gabriel noticed that he had a ponytail over a smaller shoulder. And had curves where there shouldn't be.

Still. At least he was wearing trousers and not a skirt.

"Ginny?" Hector's voice sounded weird as a girl's, and her hair was a lot more bushier. "I thought you were studying?"

Bollocks. Of course a charm like this would still make him go through NEWT studying.

The bastards.

"I'm too busy contemplating murder," Gabriel muttered. He tried not to wince at the sound of his voice. "Is it possible to attack someone who is beyond the grave?"

Hector tutted, and that sounded exactly the same. "Did you take the Daydream Charm? I thought you learned a lesson from the last time. You hated being a princess."

"I clearly haven't," he said in a monotone. "Would you care to know what the second one's about?"

Hector set the quill down, amused. "Yes, I'm sure it was entertaining."

"Everyone ended up as the opposite gender," Gabriel said. "And it's still weirding me out."

"That does sound entertaining," a deeper voice said from behind him. Gabriel yelped and turned around to see…Halley? A wizard decidedly taller than her with the same dark messy hair, and the same bright eyes behind the same cute glasses. That and the visible scars proved that it was an alternate version of Gabriel's girlfriend.

Bloke-Halley looked at Gabriel oddly. "Are you okay?"

"Just…just confuse," Gabriel admitted.

"Good to see you, Harry," Hector said and she stood up. "Have you seen Ron?"

"He's in the kitchens." Harry's shoulders slumped and he slapped the side of his head. "Bugger, I wasn't suppose to tell you that. He's going to surprise you, Hermione."

"Then I'll go surprise him," and Hermione went to go do that.

Harry shook his head and sat down next to Gabriel. The poor redhead was still trying to comprehend the girl that he fancied endlessly as the opposite gender. Still looked just as cute, though. "So," Harry said with a nervous smile. "Surprise?"

"Surprise," Gabriel echoed. "You got me."

Harry's smile relaxed…and those were the same lips that Gabriel enjoyed snogging. He probably shouldn't be thinking that when they were sitting so close. In an oddly abandoned room. Because his girlfriend was still just as pretty as a boy. Bollocks, this was going to mess with his head for ages.  
>Bollocks.<p>

"Ginny, are you okay? Because you aren't usually this quiet." Harry leaned closer to get a better look at him. Gabriel found it to be bewildering to see Halley's brilliant eyes on someone else's face.

"Oh, just fine." Gabriel blinked and hurriedly leaned away when he noticed how close they were. "Just do me one favour."

"Should I be worried?"

Gabriel shook his head, making the ponytail whip his face. Bleck, it was too long for his liking. "Promise that you'll never take one of the twins' Patented Daydream Charms."

"That's an odd request," said Harry. Gabriel felt a small part of him go gooey when he saw that smile. "Because you don't want me to end up as a princess or a girl in one of them?"

"If only you knew."

It was a nice smile that they shared.

Suddenly Harry was closer, and Gabriel could see more of those green irises behind those glasses, a flutter of eyelashes…

And he was awake. Slack-jawed, Gabriel found himself to be sleeping on the couch in the Common Room still, and he saw the same eyes looking down at him. Halley was resting her head on her elbows that were dangling off the couch headboard. "Surprise?"

"Surprise? I would say that you got me, but I saw this coming."


	88. Over the Edge

**AN: Thanks to everyone who left reviews, especially Psychobrunette who is gleefully taking up my inbox. This is a pre-written chapter, and I've saved some for emergencies when I got nothing. I've tried with the prompts that you guys gave me, but I'm sadly off my game. **

**I also have a poll up.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Over the Edge

**Word Count**: 565

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><p><em>Sun breaks over the edge of an English town<em>

**— English Town, Matchbox Twenty**

* * *

><p>Sunlight filtered through curtains, softly entering the room like a curious child. The dark colours of the night were being washed away and into brighter ones. The morning light was pulling Halley away from sleeping. It was too early, but the nightmares that she had would make her welcome consciousness.<p>

Unusually, she was curled onto one side of the bed. Her shoulders tensed in a way that only nightmares could do. But once the faint rays of the sun touched her face, she gradually relaxed. Her fingers slowly uncurled from their tight hold and her eyelids began to flicker.

The mattress dipped with extra weight, hands cold from the wind ghosted over her bare shoulders. Warm lips pressed to her neck and tepid arms touched. Halley rolled over and opened her eyes. Tired brown eyes and a smile greeted her. Gabriel was still wearing his work robes, a smudge of ink on his red nose, and his thin frame sagged with exhaustion.

"Long night?" Halley yawned.

He nodded.

"Cold?"

A cold thumb traced over her collarbone, and shock sent her awake. "Ack!" she shivered, then looking to see a sheepish smile on his face.

"Mhm," he sleepily agreed. Gabriel dropped face-first into the mattress. A lone hand strayed over her stomach. "Warm."

Halley inched closer him, and pulled the heavy duvet over them. She sighed contently she slowly started to drift back to sleep. It was easier now with him next to her. His warming body and snores could keep plenty of nightmares away. He moved his hand to the base of her back, rubbing circles.

"Nightmare?" he surprisingly guessed. He opened an eye to see her reaction.

"This part of the bed is colder, and you only curl into a ball if you have a nightmare."

Halley shrugged. "It's gone now, nothing to worry about."

Gabriel didn't buy it, but he let it go. "When it matters, wake me up and let me know." He gave her a kiss, and the soon tell-tale twitch of his hand signalled that he fell shifted her weight to her back, eyes looking up at the bleary ceiling. Her mind felt fuzzy, but still flashed back to the remnants from the nightmare. She glanced sideways to her sleeping husband, wondering if she should take up his offer of waking him up.

_It's nothing,_ Halley reminded herself again. _It doesn't matter. And he's exhausted, so it's best to let him actually sleep._ Gabriel started to snore. She was used to it and found it to be comforting when she couldn't sleep. _And it'll be impossible to wake him up now._

Halley sighed and snuggled up next him. He was getting warmer now, and the bright flush was leaving his skin. "Sleep tight," she whispered.


	89. Time for a Wedding

**AN: Thanks for review! Now to explain the Dursley piece; well, Harry does keep grudges going for a long time…and I'll think of a more concrete reason later.**

**I still have a poll up.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Time for a Wedding

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>I can't think nor find a quote about family dysfunctionality and weddings.<em>

— **Zadi**

* * *

><p>"It's so…pink," Gabriel said as he looked around. "And white. Are you sure that this is a wedding?" Indeed it was, Aunt Petunia clearly had too much time on her hands to decorate. There were frills and lace decorating everywhere, all in sickly-sweet shades of pastel pinks and creamy whites.<p>

"If I lie and say no, can we leave?" Halley asked hopefully. She self-consciously drew her shawl up higher to cover more of her new scars even though the cream was working. The upper part of her left arm was still pink and tender from the magical burns.

Daisy wanted to invite Halley to her wedding, and after much coaxing she finally agreed. It was quick ceremony that was interjected with glares from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. At least she was able to get some enjoyment by smiling happily at them and waving with her wedding ring. Halley couldn't remember much of the ceremony anyway. She mostly fell asleep at random intervals with Gabriel poking her awake.

The reception was surprisingly better so far with better food and the easier way of dodging people. Some recognised 'that Potter girl' and were too curious as to why she was there. Maybe there were hoping that she would cause a scene?

"Nice try, Potter," Gabriel whispered as more people walked pass them. "But you're doing a good thing here."

"Why can't you be the good example for James?" Halley winced as she recognised some people in the crowd. Bad memories of her days at primary school resurfaced. "I wish we brought him."

Gabriel plucked a small glass of wine from a waiter. "He wouldn't last an hour here."

"Exactly, that would give us an excuse to leave, and he'll be the best shield from these glares." She eyed his glass. "May I?"

"Healer said no."

"Damn you both." He curled an arm around her waist, and pressed his lips to the back of her neck. Halley smiled and rolled her eyes. "I refuse to have a good time. I should go grab myself some cake and sulk in the corner that is cloaked in a darkened shadow."

"So you're only feeling a little bit melodramatic?"

"It may escalate."

"You do that," Gabriel said, he withdrew his arm and looked fondly at the table of food. "Have any preferences for cake?"

"I trust your judgment." Halley watched him leave to go get them food, and used that as an advantage to admire how the Muggle suit looked on him.

"Potter?" A shrill voice broke through her nice daydream. Halley winced and recognised an old classmate. The woman was taller with an over-zealous head of tightly done curls.

"It's Weasley," Halley raised her hand to show her wedding ring. It was tiring to remind nosy reporters that she was married for about four years now. They never seemed to get the hint.

"You look so different," Cindy Crawford went on. More unpleasant memories resurfaced as Halley thought back to the group of girls that Daisy hung out with. To be fair, there wasn't much of a difference between then and Daria Malfoy's gang. Both were snobbish, high-classed in certain ways, and were self-centred brats. Magic only separated them.

"Time does do that," Halley said evasively. She wrapped her shawl tighter around herself and looked to see where Gabriel was.

"Are the rumours true?" asked Cindy. She leaned forward eagerly. "There's plenty going around with you her."

Halley gulped and wished that she had a glass of wine or a plate of cake—anything to be used to get her out of this conversation. "Rumours? I'm sorry, but I haven't heard any. And if you excuse me, I think I see my husband—" But as Halley made an attempt to leave, Cindy laid her hand on Halley's arm.

"I insist that we catch up." That smile reminded Halley too much of Rita Skeeter. "What do you do for a living these days? Anyone special?"

"Home Office. And my personal life is my business." That was the official cover story for the Auror Department. Since Halley and Rory joined, major adjustments were made to the Ministry. Some like cover stories to explain to the Muggles, and others were like restrictions and laws on Obliviation Charms and Love Potions. Halley wrenched her arm away and slowly counted to ten in her mind.

Turning away from the annoyed look on the brunette's face, Halley held her head up high and walked over to her husband. It was easy to find him with his distinctive hair, and Halley tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and handed her plate of chocolate cake. "Sorry for the wait," Gabriel said. "There was a line."

Halley stabbed the poor cake and watched the moist layers fall apart. "Thanks," she said, and took a few bites out of the sugar and chocolate.

"I also ran into some of your classmates," he added. Halley looked up and saw his struggling expressions as he tried to find a word to describe them. "They're…they're different."

She stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a light kiss that tasted faintly of cake. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Oh, Potter, is this your special someone?" Halley cursed and turned around to see Cindy. The woman looked at Gabriel and cooed. "He is so adorable, how did you ever managed find someone like him?"

"A train," Gabriel said simply. He held onto Halley's free hand. "Ready to go, dear?" he asked her.

"You mustn't leave," Cindy spoke up. There was a hunger in her eyes. "There's so much ambiguity with you being here, Halley. Surely you wouldn't mind answering a few questions?"

"Knock off, Crawford." Daisy stepped away from behind Halley. The bride's pink face looked tired and her blonde curls trickled down her head. "Halley likes her privacy. Just leave her be."

Halley mouthed her cousin a 'thank you'.

Cindy didn't seem happy about this, but with Daisy staring her down and the silence from Halley and Gabriel, she walked away in a huff.

"Mum invited her," Daisy said before Halley could thank her verbally. She looked down at her hands, blushing. "She also invited plenty of our old schoolmates, and I dunno how they'll react with you here. Thanks for coming, anyway. I thought you wouldn't but—"

"Anytime," Halley said quietly. She smiled softly and held her hand out for her cousin to shake. "It was a lovely ceremony."

"And incredible food," Gabriel added. He licked some chocolate off his thumb. "A friend of ours is getting married soon, and I'm sure that they'll love to have someone cater the wedding."


	90. Happy Birthday

**AN: Shameless fluff! And I've been meaning to do his birthday.**

**I still have a poll up.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Happy Birthday

**Word Count**: 800

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><p><em>Tucker: "But she gave me the perfect gift."<em>

_Clara: "What?"_

_Tucker: "You." _

― **Cynthia Hand, Unearthly**

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><p>Ending a whistle of a song that he heard on the wireless, Gabriel quickly took off his shoes. He walked slowly on the balls of his feet up the stairs and down the hallway that lead to their room. The door creaked when he opened it even slower, inch-by-inch. He popped his head through the opening, only seeing darkness. "Halley?" he whispered.<p>

He was greeted with silence. Gabriel looked down at his clunky watch, was it that late at night already? Reasoning that Halley was asleep, he opened the door some more to let himself in and lit his wand.

"Close the door," Halley's voice said.

Gabriel waved his wand to make it brighten more, and felt his mouth drop when he saw his wife standing in front of him. "Oh, ah…"

Halley jerked her head. A smirk was teasing over her face. "Close the door," she repeated. He did and looked back at her in a dumbfounded way. His beautiful wife was wearing his old Quidditch jersey. The wide opening slipped down on one of her slim shoulders, and the fabric ended at mid-thigh. The navy blue was faded and the stitched bulrushes showed off the curves of her body. Her short hair was tousled as if she just woke up, and she looked innocently at him with her green eyes.

"Did—did I do something right?" Gabriel asked hoarsely, his eyes drinking up the sight of her like that. This reminded him too well of a dream from his training years.

Halley fiddled with the white hem of the jersey, and he had a good feeling that was the only article of clothing that she was wearing. There was also a familiar glint of silver and gold around her neck that brought a smile on his face. "It's after midnight," she supplied.

"Christmas isn't for another four months," he said.

Halley walked closer to him, eliminating any open spaces between them. She ran her thumb down the buttons of his shirt. "Happy birthday, love…"

Right. Birthday…birthday? "It's tomorrow?" asked Gabriel dumbly, trying to remember the calendar. Halley laughed softly and kissed him fully on the mouth. "Now," he amended in a thick voice. "It's my birthday…now…"

* * *

><p>"I love you," Gabriel said for the umpteenth time. He lazily traced the curve of her shoulder and moved down her spine. They were resting in their bed, the covers and blankets were half-heartily over them. The bright light of dawn was peeping through their heavy curtains. "Love you so much."<p>

Halley smiled and stretched her arms out. "I thought you would like it." She yawned and tilted her head to look at the clock on the nightstand. "Merlin, it's late. Maybe we should start sleeping?"

"What is this 'sleep' that you speak of?" Gabriel kissed the junction of her neck. "Sleep is for the weak."

"Says the man who is now thirty-nine."

He put on a face of mock horror and dramatically raised his hand to his forehead. "Oh, no! I'll be forty! Woe is me that I'll be an old geezer soon!"

She snorted and kicked his shin. "Right, this old maid is telling you to watch it." The eye rolling changed and her facial features became normal. "How do you feel?" Gabriel shifted his weight to his back, and held his arms out for her to curl herself into them. Halley rested her head against his chest, her legs crossed over his ganglier ones, and waited for him to answer.

"Not that old, to be honest." He toyed with the snitch necklace that he gave her ages ago, thinking. "Still say I can outfly Charlotte at our family matches, I need to pace myself eating more because I think I gained more weight, and the kids wear me out more…"

"Welcome to land of the ageing," Halley remarked dryly. "The suppose gift is more wisdom and experience."

"And sexy wives wearing Quidditch jerseys." Halley playfully slapped his shoulder. "Has experience taught you to take a compliment yet, Potter?"

"Just be glad that it's your birthday," she said warningly.

"Worth it either way." Gabriel twirled a lock of her hair around a finger and tugged lightly. "In my mind, we can still be young again. We can always just look past the wrinkles, the grey hair, the..."

Halley silenced him with another kiss. "Just enjoy your birthday."


	91. Dance Lessons

**AN: We are nearing the end! Dun-dun-duuuun. There will be 101 chapters total, and it'll be finished after…nine (?) months of writing/vague planning.**

**Thanks to guys who left reviews, you are all awesome.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Dance Lessons

**Word Count**: 782

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><p><em>I said oh my, what a marvellous tune<em>

_It was the best night, never would forget how we moved_

_The whole place was dressed to the nines, and we were dancing, dancing_

_Like we're made of starlight, starlight_

_Like we're made of starlight, starlight_

**— Starlight, Taylor Swift**

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><p>Halley held tightly onto his hands and they clumsily guided each other to the steps of the dance. It was a romantic idea for their empty evening, Teddy was stuck home with a cold and everyone else was busy. Gabriel then had an idea that they should spend their free time dancing. Halley originally balked at the idea, but relaxed when he told her that they could do it in the comfort of their flat.<p>

The music from the wireless was one of the newer and more popular songs. It was the type that many hated and often found themselves singing it in the shower. Humming along, Halley tried to find a rhythm with the melody and ended up stepping on Gabriel's foot. "Sorry!"

He muffled his surprised curse and accidentally backed into the coffee table. The sharp edge caused him to stumble and hop on his non-injured foot. "Bloody hell! This flat it out to get me!" Indeed it was at times. Ever since he moved in it was as if there was a poltergeist in the flat, or he was just exaggerating simple events. Most of the time it was mainly the fact of him being too tall in such a small place.

Halley smothered her laugh and pulled him back onto his feet. Gabriel looked over his shoulder to glower at the coffee table. "I don't think we're very good at this," she said. "Maybe we can get stunt doubles to do the dancing for us at the wedding?"

"Stunt doubles?"

"Identical decoys," she explained, and smiled more at the idea. "Hmm, when they're dancing we can just sneak off…"

"I think I would much prefer dancing with my wife." Gabriel was grinning. "It's worth every bruise."

Halley blushed at being referenced like that. Their wedding wasn't that far off, and she was already trying to get used to being addressed by her new surname. "Didn't your mum ever told you that flattery will get you nowhere?"

"Perhaps," he held his hand out and bowed. "Would you care to dance, m'lady?"

Halley first jabbed at the wireless with her wand, changing the music to a slower song. She copied his bow, and they started dancing again. Although it was more like he placed his hands at her waist and they swayed slowly to the song. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. This was much better.

"Not bad," Gabriel mused. A hand roamed upwards and drew lazy circles over her back. "I like this. Do you?"

"The less chance of needing some sort of a healing charm, the more I like it." Halley observed the engagement ring on her finger, and how it sparkled under the dim light of the room. "Not much long now." She pulled her head back to see the sappy expression on his face. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just…" he waited a moment to find the words. "Imagining how everything will go."

"In chaos and badly-timed pranks?"

Laughing, Gabriel kissed her. "That'll be one hell of a wedding. I like it." He cupped the side of her face, his brown eyes were sparkling. That sort of excitement he was showing was contagious. "I'm also picturing you in your wedding dress."

Halley tilted her head to the side, curious at what he was imaging. "How can you picture me in my wedding dress if you haven't seen it?"

"Yet," he added. "I'll see it soon enough, but for now I'll be content with any crazy concoction. His eyes slowly looked up and down, gaining a far away gaze. "Can I get a hint?"

She shook her head. This was one of the several times that question was asked. And each time she gave him a ridiculous answer. Rolling her eyes, she chose her words carefully, and whispered it in his ear. "I won't be wearing a dress."

His expression was worth it.


	92. May the Second

**AN: Fair warning: I have two thesis to work on and a writing project, so the next chapter will be coming later. Thanks to all who reviewed, and to nag—don't forget to answer my poll!**

**I'm also trying to write longer chapters. Pages makes them seem so much bigger :-P**

**Disclaimer: **Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: May the Second

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>"My sleep wasn't peaceful, though. I have the sense of emerging from a world of dark, haunted places where I traveled alone."<em>

**― Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay**

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><p>It was a terrible thing to wake up in fear. Frightening from the fragments of memories, Gabriel tightened himself into a smaller ball with his covers wrapped tightly around him. He shut his eyes tight and tried to banish the fresh-feeling memories of war, but he couldn't because it was nearing the second of May. Everyone involved was plagued with nightmares no matter how much time passed. The reassurance that he wasn't back there was feeling the weight if his wedding ring.<p>

Gabriel reached a hand under his pillow, feeling the familiar wood of his wand. Though his wasn't nearly as paranoid as Halley, he came closer when May was approaching. It was an instinct these days. At least Mad-Eye would be proud, neither of them put their wands in their back pockets anymore.

The bed made creaking noises as he heard and felt Halley move. Her calf pushed against his thigh as if she was trying to get away from something. Frowning, Gabriel rolled over to see her fidgeting in her heavy sleep. She struggled against thee duvet, twisting and turning against an unseen adversary. If that wasn't an indication of how bad her nightmare was becoming, then it would be the begging she was muttering.

"No…not my fault…sorry…No! No!" Gabriel gently nudged her shoulder with his hand, trying to rouse her awake. She flinched against him, and her voice grew louder. "Get away!"

He looked at the direction of where the hallway was, worried at how their children's old react if they wake up to this. He turned back to his wife, now becoming even more worried at whatever was haunting her. "Halley!" Gabriel took hold of her hands so that she wouldn't scratch herself again. "Wake up!"

Being an Auror, even with her hands full she could still take on a bigger threat with her feet. Gabriel hated trying to subdue her, because it reminded him too much of the earlier days when the war was over. A time when everyone woke up screaming and fighting.

Her cries died off when his words finally became conscious to her. With fluttering eyes and shaking limbs, she woke in a right mess. With the look of confused terror and with bloodshot eyes, Gabriel was mentally sent back to funerals and the crying. She looked younger, but not in a complimentary way. It was the hunted look of an animal pushed into a corner too much. Halley groggily stared at him, her breath moving quickly. "I…" she said shakily. "…y-you…w-wha…"

"It's me," he said in a broken sort of voice. He was holding her loosely at her forearms, his grip slackened even more as she was becoming more awake. "See? I'm here. The nightmare isn't real."

Halley sluggishly moved to a sitting up position, her back was against the headboard, and her hands splayed over the dark wood that it was made of. Colour was returning to her face, and her breathing was almost normal. Unruly locks of her hair fell over her face, and she covered her eyes with her hands to hide some tears. "I thought it was."

"Me, too," agreed Gabriel. He leaned closer to her, prying her hands away and placing them in his lap. He felt a burning ache in the back of his throat and prickling behind his eyes, but he was trying not to break. "It's okay, love."

She shook her head, determined to hide the shakiness in her voice. "I don't want to cry. I'm tired of it."

Wordlessly, Halley laid her head on his chest and he crossed his arms over her quivering back. He bent his head into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent deeply. Actions like these made his own nightmares go away. It was the solid proof of her being alive that did the work. The feel of her hair against his face, the iris-scented shampoo, her heart beating next to his…She was alive. Yet they will go through the same torture in a few hours at the memorial. It was a going to be a long day, and Gabriel wasn't looking forward to it.

"Mines was the same," Halley whispered into his shirt. The fabric began to feel wet. "They all came back, they all wanted to know what I did wrong–how I kept failing—"

"You didn't," he said. "We all knew the risks, no one can blame that." He shifted his weight and cupped her face with his hands. The same pain was reflected in her eyes. "I don't blame you."

"I know." She tilted her head to kiss his palm. "Doesn't get any easier, though."

"That's why we have each other."

Halley sighed and pulled back, her eyes searching his face. "How are you?"

Now it was his turn to be stoic. Gabriel put his brave face on and tried to show some bravado, and that he wasn't inwardly feeling the same despair as her. Despite that all, the truth came falling out of his mouth. "Stuck thinking about it and could be worst." Through fluttering eyes, he kept flashing back to the middle of the battle, Halley's prone body in Hagrid's arms. Just thinking about it sent the same spasms of horror.

She took his hand and placed it over her rapidly-beating heart. The feeling of her pulse brought him back to reality. "Does this help?"

"Loads." Gabriel moved his hand to traces the edges of her body. He stopped at her hip and did the same with his other hand. She languidly wrapped her arms around his neck, and her eyelashes grazed the sensitive skin. "When do you think we'll ever be healed?"

"Who knows?" Halley answered, shrugging. "I sure don't."

"Good for us." He brushed his hand over her fringe, looking curiously at her scar. More than a decade later, and he was still amazed on how paler it was. No longer was it a bright, angry red, but a dull pink that could only be seen if one was looking for it. He lowered that hand over her heart again, knowing what scar lied underneath. He traced it over her nightdress, a lightening bolt that matched the one on her forehead.

"I can't believe how old some of these are," Halley said conversational matter. Her eyes glazed over as she surveyed the newer ones on her body from work. "And fresh."

"I think the ones on my back predicted the weather for tomorrow," quipped Gabriel, smiling slightly. It was an old joke between them that his could tell the weather more accurately than the wireless.

She laughed for the first time that week. It was a croak compared to the usual belly-full, but it was still a damn good laugh to hear. Smiling fully, he went back under the covers and she moved to join him. Together they fell asleep in each other's arm, feeling at peace.


	93. Godric's Hollow

**AN: One thesis down and another to go! Thanks to everyone who left reviews. Up next will be a reunion, and if you haven't noticed, the theme for the last few chapters seem to be closure. Or at least some kind of closure.**

**I also recommend the song for the sure beauty.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Godric's Hollow

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>Where the doors are moaning all day long<em>

_Where the stairs are leaning dusk to dawn_

_Where the windows are breathing in the light_

_Where the rooms are a collection of our lives_

_This is a place where I don't feel alone_

_This is a place that I call my home_

**― That Home, Cinematic Orchestra**

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><p>"Wow," Gabriel breathed. He directed the glowing tip of his wand around the room. The light showed him the fading wallpaper that was directed with fairytale motifs, a dusty rocking chair, and a large hole gaping from the back wall of the crib.<p>

Halley looked away, a tight feeling was growing in her throat. She shivered, the cold coming from more than just the hole there. She cast her eyes downwards. "Yeah, something isn't?" She raised her eyes again to see a stag imprinted on the wallpaper. Wordlessly, she traced the image over with her thumb. She suddenly felt very tired, and the hairs on the back of her neck were still raising. The air inside the house tasted old from the must and sharp from the cold. It didn't feel like a house that a family could live in.

Gabriel was still looking around the baby room in shock. His red hair and the light from their wands were the brightest thing in the room. He stopped to stare at the crib, going very still. "Merlin…Halley, that's…"

"I know," and she closed her eyes. The object was burned in her mind, and a small part of her went back to Voldemort almost possessing her a year ago. She knew what the house looked like moments before he came. The images were flickering over her eyes the second she stepped inside. Halley opened them and walked closer to the crib. She trailed a hand down the wooden railings, and raised her hand that held her wand higher in the air. "Puts things into a new perspective, doesn't?"

Gabriel placed his larger hand tenderly over her back. "Sure does. How are you feeling?"

Halley sighed deeply, trying not to think back too much on what it was like when Voldemort attacked. She tore her eyes away from the crib and stuffed one of her hands in her jacket pocket as if it was burned. The hand that held her wand trembled. "I dunno. How should I feel?"

"Angry?" he guessed. "Sad? Confused? Take your pick." She nodded, mumbling something about all three. He curled his hand over her shoulder and she rested her head against his side. Breathing heavily, she tried keep her thoughts from spiralling down further. During the winter holiday, Halley said that she was making plans to go visit her old home in Godric's Hollow. Gabriel offered to come with her, and how she was very thankful for his emotional support.

"Can we go back downstairs?" Halley asked.

"Sure," he kissed the top of her head. She looked up to notice how shiny his eyes were. "Where to?

They walked downstairs, careful of the creaking from the stairs, and made their way to the main hallway. Halley flocked her wand, sending a ball of light floating in the middle of the hallway. It sent a strong light, sending away the darkness. It illuminated dusty photos caught under glass that were hanged up on the walls. Halley tried not to look at them as she walked pass, afraid that seeing them move would make her lose control of any emotions.

"What should I do with all of these?" she asked, turning around to face Gabriel.

He brushed some dust and cobwebs off his head. "It's your stuff. This is your house. It's your home. You can do whatever you want."

"It isn't," she corrected with a grimace. Her heart jumped at seeing the photo of her parents smiling and waving next to her. The ghostly images seemed spooky in the night under wand-light. "This hasn't been a home in what? 17 years?" Her voice began to crack. "It's not my home anymore."

Gabriel walked closer to her and handed her his mitten from his coat pocket. She wordlessly took it as a tissue and blew her nose into the knitted yarn. "Keep it," he suggested with a trace of a smile. He peered at the photos hanging on the walls, and his eyes caught that far-away look. "Maybe you can box these things up and send them to Grimauld Place?"

"No!" the word came out louder than she intended. Halley shook her head furiously, almost sending her hat flying away. Bad memories swelled at hearing the name. That surely wasn't a home anymore. Too dark, too rotten, and too much madness. "That place is a prison. The house-elf heads alone will send someone into shock."

"Right, so Hector won't be living there anytime soon."

Gabriel blew out an exasperated air. It was getting late, and they promised his mum that they would be home before midnight. Halley reached for his hand and squeezed his fingers. The next few words seemed to be caught in her throat. "H-how about…how about the Burrow?"

"Oh!" His voice sounded an octave too high, his eyes wide, and lips parted. "My house? Why?"

"It's home," she said. "It's home for me, I feel safe there. We can just take some of the valuables, put them in the attic, and charm them until I get a place of my own. The rest of us can come here on a later date."

Halley could tell that he was touched because the familiar blush was moving over his face. He stumbled a 'thank you' and kissed her cheek. "I like that."

"Thought you would," she said. Then her eyes drifted towards the door. It was originally lasted off its hinges, but someone, possible Dumbledore, charmed it back together again with some protection spells. "Can we go do one more thing first?"

"Anything, I'm here to help."

Halley tugged on Gabriel's hand, leading him out of the house. "I want you to go meet my parents."


	94. L'dor V'dor

**AN: The title is my favourite Hebrew phrase, it means From Generation to Generation. Speaking of which, HAPPY HANUKKAH!**

**Thanks to everyone who left reviews.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: L'dor V'dor

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>"I don't care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching-they are your family." <em>

**― Jim Butcher, Proven Guilty**

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><p>Al was trying to reach over Gabriel's shoulder to poke again at his older brother. The two-year-old stopped when he saw Halley's sharp look. He then made a tactical retreat. "That's right," Gabriel said. "What pokes around goes around." Lily cooed in agreement from her seat in the buggy. She was also the subject of Al's need to prod living objects. He already stopped doing it to his parents and baby sister, and he found Jimmy's reaction to be much more amusing.<p>

The family of five were having an oddly enjoyable stroll to the cemetery in Godric's Hollow. It was near Christmas, and even the British weather couldn't bring the snow that only existed in holiday cards and talks on the wireless. The sky was dark and mirthless, heavy with stuck snow. Everywhere else was crisp and nose-bitingly cold. Gabriel had done a wonderful job of imitating his mum when making sure that they had enough jumpers on. It was a yearly occurrence what they were doing. Right before the holidays started they would all go and say a few words to Halley's parents, to Sirius, and to Remus and Tonks.

Jimmy was getting at the age when he was terribly confused by the whole ordeal. Al was too interested in anything else to care. Halley and Gabriel wondered how Lily would react. They hoped that they won't be like how Jimmy was on their to there with him constantly asking them why about everything. There was an awkward moment of silence when he asked where Lily came from.

She came from under the Flutterby bush. Any further questions could be directed to Rory.

They were walking side-by-side, with Al in Gabriel's arms as he tried to annoy Jimmy. Halley was pushing the buggy that Lily was in, and her oldest was holding her other hand. It was a mess when they had Apparated near the cemetery, but at least Halley remembered to bring the Pepper Up Potion for Jimmy so that he wouldn't be as sick. Last year was a disaster when he had too many biscuits and juice beforehand.

"Are we there yet?" Jimmy whined. He tugged on Halley's jacket. "Mummy, I'm bored." His ennui changed when he and Al gasped when they saw the memorial changed after they walked by it. They craned their heads further to get a better look. "Mummy! Look!"

"I know. We are almost there," Halley said, ignoring the statue of herself and her parents. It felt eerie to look at it when she herself had children now. She ruffled his messy hair. Time and genetics made it into a darker version of Weasley red. He could easily be picked out as a member of the Weasley family with his nose, freckles, and his hair. Al was more like a Potter with her eyes, her hair, and the shape of his face. Lily, on the other hand, looked like what Molly commented, "the exact image of her father".

Indeed they were getting closer. The kissing gate was pushed open with some difficulty, and experience made it a quick and easy trip to find her parents' grave. The white marble had darker streaks from age, and the darker twin looked practically ageless next to it. Dried flowers laid limply by both. Al made impatient noises and Gabriel set his second son to the ground. He curiously walked up to a flower, poking it with his mitten. "Pretty!" he exclaimed.

Halley knelt down and waved her wand, rejuvenating them for a moment. Jimmy peered from behind her to see her do some magic. His eyes then travelled to Sirius' grave, transfixed by the engraving of a paw print. Dogs were his favourite animal. Gabriel handed her the fresh flowers they he carefully hidden inside a satchel from curious, petal-plucking fingers. She placed them with the older flowers and stood back up.

"Jimmy, Al, Lily, do you three want to say hi to your grandparents and to Sirius?" Gabriel asked softly.

"'Hi to your grandparents and to Sirius,'" Jimmy mimicked in a deeper voice that was reminiscent of his dad's.

Al walked closer to each grave and patted them as if they were a friendly dragon. "Hullo! Hullo!"

Lily gurgled.

Halley covered her mouth with her hands, trying not to laugh too much. Gabriel took her free hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Hello," she said. "As you can see, we have a new addition to the family." She lifted Lily out of her seat, and cradled the few-months-old baby close. "Mum, Dad, Sirius, I would like you all to meet Lily Luna Weasley."

"And I'm James Sirius!" Jimmy pointed out loudly when he saw that the attention was on his baby sister. "Loads better than Al's name." Al turned to glare at him.

"No! Mummy, tell Jimmy my name's better-er!"

Gabriel shushed them. "You both have wonderful names, and they already know who you are."

"What if they forget?" Jimmy asked. He and Al turned pale at the idea. In such a big family it was important that no one should be forgotten.

Halley shivered as Lily drooled into her neck. She was very good at leaving a wet mess no what bodily fluid it was. Maybe they should invest in diapers for baby heads next? "They won't," she promised. "They're family. Why would they?"

Jimmy was bored by that explanation and look at the tombstones. "J-j-ames." Startled, he looked at Sirius' next. "S-i-ir-u-s." He looked back and forth, and his brown eyes widened as his voice grew higher. "Mummy! That's my name!"

Al looked terribly cross. "My name s'not."

Bloody hell. Halley shifted Lily to her other arm and tried to think of a way that this won't end theatrically. "Remember, sweetie? My daddy's name was James, and my godfather's was Sirius. Both were very amazing wizards." Even after all of these years she felt a pang at referring to him in past tense.

Al looked down and kicked at the frozen dirt. "What about me?"

"Albus Severus."

His head shot up automatically at being called by his full name.

"Headmasters of Hogwarts," Halley continued. "Very brave men."

Gabriel coughed into his sleeve.

"Both very brave men," she repeated in a stern voice. She nudged her husband with her elbow. Then her voice became softer, more to herself. "Albeit, it took a bit longer for Snape to catch on…"


	95. Deprivation

**AN: Uh, sorry for the lengthy delay. Papers, projects, end of the term stuff, Hannukah, sleep deprivation, projects…(my new iPad also isn't letting me transfer all of my old fics on it. don't worry, it's all safe on iCloud)**

**And in honour of my sleep deprivation. I wrote this, and I think someone wanted to see more of Malfoy. Also pointing out that my new fic The Red String may be enjoyed by you wonderful lot.**

**Awesome thanks to everyone who left reviews. Happy almost Christmas!/ Hannukah was over a week ago!/ When is Kwanzaa anyway?**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I've never had any connections to JK Rowling besides a love for books.

**Title**: Deprivation

**Word Count**: 1K

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><p><em>"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance." <em>

**~ Franklin P. Jones **

* * *

><p>It was one of those rare moments when Halley could just sleep in. That was hard to do so with having two boys—the oldest who now despised naps, and a baby who's biological clock seemed to be on the other side of the globe. It was often a question along her and Gabriel on how his parents could have handled seven children let alone two. Or three when Teddy came around to stay for a weekend. Either way, Halley made sure to use her free time to catch up on her missing sleep. She felt as though she was going loony without it. She had the occasion of seeming like it, but denial was a powerful tool in a parent's hand. That, and a Pepper Up Potion.<p>

Halley was resting face-first into her squishy pillow, sighing in relief that her two wonderful boys were behaving like humans in the morning. Gabriel had gotten up earlier to start working on a report about the latest game in Suffolk, and how the Harpies crushed the Cannons with relative ease. He promised her that it wouldn't take long and he'll be back in bed soon. Sadly, he was also starting to go around the bend with the total lack of sleep, because whenever Albie woke up, James was soon to follow. He supposed that it was an attention thing. Halley's best opinion was that they were just as insane as the rest of the family.

Gabriel didn't had much to say afterwards after hearing her thoughts, and Halley didn't necessary blamed him for that. He was probably still comprehending what she had said to him that previous day.

Still, it was nice being able to sleep in a quasi-silence. Albus could be heard through some spells to check in on his sleep apnea, James' snoring was incredibly loud for someone in nappies, and hearing Gabriel's scribbling with a quill and listening to the radio in the next room over created a strange sort of lullaby that actually made it easier for her to fall asleep. Halley could feel her mind slowly disconnecting and drifting away. All of those nights when those dearly-precious and missing hours…_Has it really been less than a month?_ Parts of Halley's mind thought more about that. She vaguely felt a twinge of pain from her fresh batch of pregnancy scars on her stomach. That wasn't an easy event compared to James, but she got through it in the end.

_Albus is so tiny…His wittle foot and toes_…Slowly and much-deserved, the last threads other delirious conscious—

And the door slammed opened.

Eight years of Auror training and a lifetime of doing unprofessional heroics kicked in. Halley whipped her wand out from under her pillow and aimed it at the door, and a powerful blasting charm played over her lips. Anxiety and the adrenaline (and lack of glasses) made her ready to face down a Death Eater. Already the paranoia was making her set to fight off a dark magic wielding maniac, But it was Gabriel instead wearing a tattered bathrobe and holding a newspaper in his hands.

"Guess what?" He said in a voice that suggested that he had a night or two without sleep.

Halley lowered her wand, but only slightly. She was very much tempted to make him pay for disrupting her like that. "No."

"You're going to like this, Halley. Trust me."

"I already hate it. Too bad." The adrenaline immediately faded and Halley stuffed her wand back under he pillow. "Good night and don't ever do that again." She then dropped back down to the mattress, ignoring her husband.

"It's beneficial for any misfortune with Al's name," Gabriel pointed out.

Halley groaned theatrically. She wished people would already stop the fuss about Albus' name. So it was an odd choice to use. She couldn't use Remus because she felt Teddy deserved to have it for his future progeny, they couldn't referred to Albus by his middle name, the Wizarding gossip still wouldn't die after almost seven years about Snape, and she was under plenty of pain potions at the time. Any fault logic could be blamed on that. Yet everyone was under the impression that she was a few sickles short of a galleon during that time. Poor Molly was even more than convinced that poor Albus would be beaten for his pocket money when he'd get older.

"The lad will change his name once he's older," she moaned. "Something more sensible, you say? How about Bartholomew or Ichabod?"

"His name is now normal!" Gabriel said. He moved to be on the bed next to her and placed the Prophet next to the side of her face. "Read the column under the one about cauldron thickness."

Halley turned her head, squinted, and made out blurry words. "Glasses." They were handed to her. She put them on, blinked a few time, and slowly read what Gabriel had to show. _"'Aristos and Daria Greengrass welcome…'_" She rubbed her eyes and looked back just to make sure that her eyes and mind weren't playing tricks on her. "'_Scorpius Hyperion Greengrass'._ What in Merlin's name…"

"See?" Gabriel folded the paper into a tight roll. "Our youngest has nothing to fear now."

"I love you," Halley said. "But you need to go to sleep now."

He stifled back a yawn, but she could see his stomach tightening to release it. "I feel fine. Nothing like having two kids under the age of five to keep you busy and prepared for life."

She patted his shoulder. "Says the man who woke me up to joke about an old school nemesis whose son has a very unfortunate name."

"When you say it like that…


	96. Accents and Pirates

**AN: Thanks to everyone who left a review, and remember that those can make an author's day! I hope that everyone had a good holiday and that you all had a good apocalypse. Wasn't it just nicest end of the world ever?**

**For this chapter I did a good amount of research and is still fascinated. Mainly because I kept going, "Wow, we kinda use that where I live."**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling  
><strong>Title<strong>: Accents and Pirates  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1K

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><p><em>It was pretty awful for us children because we never really knew the local children. Mother was keen for us to learn languages, so our travels took us to France and Italy, as well as the West Country.<em>  
><strong>—Mary Wesley<strong>

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><p>"Whatever happened to your accent?" Halley asked him one day. She was standing by him, drying her hair off with a towel.<p>

She saw Gabriel paused as he was in the midst of brushing his teeth. He tilted his head to the side, his reflection was equally flummoxed. He spat out a globe of toothpaste and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What accent?"

Halley nudged him with her hip. "You know, the one that you always tone done when at school and is now mellowing out a lot? I just want to know why." She set the towel down and reached for a comb to get rid of the tangles. She winced as the comb's teeth got snagged into a difficult knot. At times like this she hated her hair.

"Ah." Gabriel looked sideways at her. "That accent. Well, uh, now we live in London, and its kinda posh…Some took the piss out of me for speaking with it at school…" His words trailed off as Halley levelled her stare. He quickly composed himself. "And there's some stuff about West Country and I don't like hearing it." He said the last part with an emphasis on the 'H', much unlike the usual softness that he said it with.

"Pity," Halley said with a shake of her head. "I think it's cute." She had fond memories of the summer after the war, and enjoyed how his deep voice would pronounce her name. It was another reason why she enjoyed her summers at Devon so much, the lyrical way that everyone spoke made that time much more relaxed. It was as if time slowed down and she could enjoy the last few days of the summer sun.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and muttered something as he was brushing his teeth. "'oo 'ahd, 'otte'."

"That's because you don't hear it like I do." Halley levitated the towel to dry off, waiting for him to respond.

"M'kay." He rinsed his mouth out and set the toothbrush down. He rested with his back against the sink counter, his arms supporting him. "You think that me speaking with a lazy drawl and says your name funny is cute?"

"Yes." There were some very fond memories of him saying her name 'funny'.

"Mad," Gabriel shook his head at her. "I love you all the same, but I think you're mad."

"If you love your mad girlfriend so much then maybe you should speak in it all day?" Halley challenged.

"Eh…"

She stepped closer towards him. She raised a hand to his chest and lowered her voice. "Would you prefer if I flutter my eyes and draw lazy circles in a sensual manner? Please?"

Gabriel considered it for a few moments. He looked at her, lips pursed, and then sighed as he sagged his shoulders. "Can't my dashing looks be enough for you?" She shook her head no. "Ooh arr, I a'en got ought for'ee," he spoke deliberately with an exaggerated accent.

"Now you're just laying it on thick," Halley chortled. She gave him a light kiss on the lips.

An arm snaked around her waist, pulling her in closer. His other hand framed her face, fingers toying with the strands of her hair. He pressed small kisses along her jaw. "Anything fo' me 'earty."

"And now you sound like a pirate."

"So I won't be looking for lost treasure?" The mockery of the West Country dialect shifted to the mainly used when back at the Burrow. Gabriel kept his facial expression an innocent one. That was easy to look through with a persistent hand working its way to remove her shirt. "No plundering? I'm hurt."

"You need a parrot first." Halley twisted her torso so that she could keep her clothes on. Teddy would be coming soon and the last thing she needed was to scar him for life. Andromeda already made her thoughts clear about her and Gabriel not married yet and living together.

"Will an owl count?" Halley had to laugh at the image of Pig attempting to sit still on his shoulder. "Though no eyepatch," Gabriel added as an afterthought. "There's a cheesy line that I wanted to say about my eyes looking at you, but I forgot what it was."

"A puffy shirt and tight trousers, then?" She amused herself with the idea of him dressed liked that. It reminded her of something that could happen in the twins' Patented Daydream Charm.

His next expression resembled one of a goldfish. Gabriel's mouth slowly opened and closed, gaping then at her with an awe light in his eyes. "Bloody…what goes through that head of yours?"

"Nice thoughts." The rest of her non-existent answer was saved by someone knocking the door downstairs. It was Andromeda and Teddy, judging by sound of her godson shouting hello through the door. She kissed Gabriel on the nose and went down to greet Teddy, leaving her boyfriend bewildered behind her.

The excited boy ran into her as the door opened, Halley's knees buckled, but she greeted him by throwing her arms tightly around him. "Hullo, Aunty!" he said, giggling.

Andromeda stood by the door, always in a poised stance that made Halley feel like she was slouching too much. "Hello," she greeted. She gave Gabriel a curt nod when he bounded down the stairs.

Teddy squealed as he was picked up by the bigger wizard. "How bist?" He asked in the exaggerated accent from before. Halley had a hard time stifling her laughter, and poor Andromeda was confused at the switch of his dialect.

"You a pirate!" Teddy exclaimed. He looked over to his aunt and godmother, shocked and amazed. "When he came a pirate?"


	97. That Awkward Talk

**AN: Hells bells, I've been sick for a good part of this week. It sucks. And it feels like I've gone through several rounds of takedown moves. Watching Supernatural and Buffy should help me.**

**Thanks to everyone who had left reviews, and I'm really looking forward to reaching over 300 in the future (that's wasn't subtle of me). Also if anyone has noticed, the fic about their Hogwarts' years is called Sun in its Flight. I'm thinking after February it'll be up.**

**There is a reference to Interrogations from a Madman towards the end.**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling  
><strong>Title<strong>: That Awkward Talk.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1K

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><p>Vastra:<em> I am trying to be delicate. I know how you can blush. When did this baby...begin?<em>  
>The Doctor: <em>Oh, you mean...well, how should I know? That's all human-y private stuff, it just sort of goes on. They don't put up a balloon or anything!<em>  
><strong>—Doctor Who, A Good Man Goes to War<strong>

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><p>"Bollocks."<p>

"Come again?" Halley mindlessly flipped over the last page of a field report. She turned to see Gabriel covering his face with his hands, groaning. She shifted her weight on the bed and nudged him with her knee. "What's bollocks?"

He slowly slid up, his back against the headboard, and removed his hands. The grimace on his face was painful to even look at. "Remind me that before Jimmy boards the train that I have to ruin his innocence."

"That is sure to be fun for the two of you." She tapped the report with her wand and Banished it to her office. This was going to need her full attention.

"Shut up," Gabriel said. His shoulders slumped heavily as he frowned. "This is going to be worst than the time when we told him that Father Christmas wasn't real."

Halley also frowned at the memory. They had sit down with him during Boxing Day and gently told him the truth. Poor Jimmy, who was convinced that someone could do all of that with magic in one night, and had refused to believe them at first. It took some time, and the end result we their oldest exiling himself to his room and bemoaning that everything he knew was a lie. He was in such a bad mood that he didn't even made a fuss about the jokes his cousin pulled on him.

She pitied at the idea of what questions Jimmy would ask. Some were better left unanswered at the time being, and hopefully be given once he's older. "What's the worst he could ask?"

"If he was planned or not," Gabriel pointed out in pure honesty.

Oh. Halley gnawed at her lower lip. In all attempts and purposes Jimmy wasn't planned. Al was, but he came earlier than either of them expected. Lily, on the other hand, was the result of a lovely vacation in a log cabin when they realised that they were both horrible at skiing. "Have you thought about doing the talk based on what your dad told you?"

"No," and his eyes widened. "No! That was…Bloody hell, I couldn't look at muggle outlets and plugs the same way ever again." Halley raised an eyebrow and wisely decided not know how outlets and plugs made a good analogy of human reproduction. She watched him think back on that conversation, and Gabriel shuddered. "How about you, then?"

Halley suddenly wished she had her report to change the topic. She blushed and squirmed as her fingers knotted themselves in the afghan that was draped over her lap. The first time was with Remus as he took her aside one day in her Third Year. The second time was with Molly that summer. That next summer consisted of Sirius awkwardly shuffling his feet and saying that he'll eat the bastard whoever tried to hurt her. A year later it was Tonks who cornered her and might have had told Halley too much. "Painfully vivid, but what counts is that Jimmy needs to know. Besides, remember how we were as teenagers?"

She let that piece sink in and his face became a more brilliant shade of red. "We…we weren't…um…"

"Your last year in school. In your dormitory. I distinctively remember—"

"That those were the days," Gabriel hastily added. Halley swerved and rested he legs in his lap. He drew nonsense circles over her knee, smiling. "I think that was the first time I saw you in your Auror field uniform."

"I think you liked the boots more."

"True. Hey, do you think you still have…" Halley looked at him pointedly. "Right. Need to scar Jimmy for life. We're both doomed," Gabriel said dramatically. "His childhood will be dead at the end of the day."

"And don't forget that you'll be doing the same to Al in a few years."

He groaned and placed his chin on her knees, looking up at her empathetically with his dark eyes. "Woe is me. It was bad enough when Sirius—"

"Sirius?" Halley gave him a bewildered look. "What did my godfather ever do to you?"

"Oh, ah, this is awkward," Gabriel's voice rose in pitch. "Remember that summer before your Fifth Year and you walked in on me, Remus, and him having a conversation that stopped suddenly when you entered and called Sirius mad?"

"Was that when Sirius wanted to know what I looked for in a dashing wizard?" she asked.

"He wanted to know if you were interested in me back then." He blushed a shade more than his hair and continued. "Sirius backed me into a corner and wanted to give me some advice. Thankfully Remus stepped in before he could give any."

Halley wiped her glasses clean with her sleeve. "If he wasn't dead… Honestly, that man should have tried harder."

"Thinking snogging me would have made that year better?" Gabriel asked in a fit of well-needed cheekiness.

"Immensely." Halley turned her to stretch her legs out over the bed. With her arms raised she thwacked him on the back of his head. "Now go do your fatherly duty!"


	98. From This Day Forward

**AN: Now for something fluffy and only three chapters left. What were some of your favorite parts? Any aspects of their relationship? Looking forward to any scenes in the next big fic?**

**Also I was very happy at all of the reviews you guys gave me for the last chapter. If it's any consolation, the following morning was oddly quiet in the Weasley-Potter household.**

**This title derives from the traditional British vows. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling  
><strong>Title<strong>: From This Day Forward  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1K

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><p><em>Come live with me, and be my love,<em>  
><em>And we will some new pleasures prove<em>  
><em>Of golden sands, and crystal brooks,<em>  
><em>With silken lines, and silver hooks<em>  
><strong>—John Donne<strong>

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><p>Halley crossed both arms over Gabriel's back, and his arms were bent at her waist, hands clutching onto her pair of painful heels. They swayed softly to the music, the only audible sounds were the mummers of their guests, the swishing of her full skirt, and the lull of his heart beating. She rested her head against his chest, enjoying the feeling of him drawing circles over her hips and the languid feeling of the day. She nuzzled his neck, her mouth grazing his collarbone. "This is nice."<p>

Gabriel shivered. He moved to cup the back of her head, his fingers twirling in her dark hair. Her arms moved to be perched at his broad shoulders. There was the sound of her shoes hitting the grass, and he moved a hand to encompass her mid-back. His brown eyes met her green ones. "I can't believe this is real."

"It is." Halley stood on the tips of her toes, the grass feeling cool beneath her feet. She looked briefly over her shoulder and saw members of her family showing signs of dropping. It was getting late, but she didn't wanted the day to end. "Can we stay like this forever?"

"And miss our wedding night?" he said in mock horror.

"Where is our honeymoon, anyway?" she asked.

Gabriel looked around the lawn, face tilted in confusion. "Good question. If a certain Ravenclaw hadn't already left then maybe he could tell us."

"He said it was somewhere warm and nargle-free."

"Sounds good enough to me." He kissed her laughing lips. "Ms Halley Lily Weasley, I still can't get used to that."

"Don't worry, Mr Gabriel Arthur Potter, you'll do in time," Halley said.

"I actually think I scribbled that in a few margins," he said half-jokingly. His brow creased as he thought about it. Breaking away from their safe swaying, he twirled her under his arm, laughing as she collided into him. Gabriel's hand curved at her bodice, his fingers lacing his fingers with hers around her front, and his nose buried into her hair. "No, I'm more certain that I did. I remember Snape catching me doing that in class."

Halley raised his hand to brush her lips over his knuckles. The weight of his wedding band felt warm. "How sad for you."

He brushed some stray curls away from her face and stared into her eyes. Gabriel's normally freckled face was dusted with pink, his hair was mused, and red tie was slightly crooked. He had abandoned his jacket over a chair and rolled his sleeves up to accommodate for the heat. "I think my pubescent ego's recovered since then." He took several steps back until they were an arm's length apart. One more dance, please?"

Halley hitched her dress up to examine her feet. The undersides were pink and they were sore, but they were feeling much better without her heels. She let go of the fabric and took a hold of his waiting hand. "One more wouldn't hurt."

He raised their joined hands, his other resting between her shoulder blades. She looked down at her feet and saw the green grass-stains and how much smaller they were compared to his larger feet. Noticing an opportunity, she placed her feet over Gabriel's, making her at eye level. Halley wound both arms around his neck to steady her balance. "Strange not looking down at you," Gabriel quipped. Halley merely raised an eyebrow. "What? I can't look up at you, now can I?"

"It'll be amusing to see you try," Halley said. She nudged his hip. "Now lets dance."

"As you wish, my lovely wife." His mouth ghosted over lips, gaining a bright smile from her. He then looked down, perplexed. "Now how do I dance like this?"

"You can start by stop staring at my chest."

"Shame. Just when I was getting used to the view…" Gabriel shuffled his feet and took slow steps in some same semblance of a dance. Halley hummed to the song, laying her head on his shoulder. "It's going to be so different tomorrow, a different day, a new day," he murmured. "Is this when everything starts? Our lives?"

"One way to look at it," Halley said. "Or to be technical it all started at King's Cross."

He pulled his head back, looking at her. "King's Cross?"

"That's where I first saw you. I met Rory and Hector there. Everything changed after that." She cupped the side of his face, her thumb moving over his cheekbone. "I'll do it all over again in a heartbeat."

"Forever, then?" Gabriel pivoted to the right. "Has a good certainty to it—loving you to the day I die."

"It does have a certain ring to it." Halley gave him another kiss on the lips. "Love you, too." The smile on his face was incredibly goofy. Swaying slightly, he threaded his hand through her hair, bringing her closer for more kissing. A wonderful and abiding warmth spread its way to the tips of her toes. Gabriel did had a point, it was strange being at eye-level with him. Instead of having to tilt her head up, it was a simple matter of just pressing her head closer.

Halley could feel herself being lifted off her feet in a moment of gusto. Laughing as she was set back down, Gabriel let out a small series of pants. "I play Quidditch and I have trouble snogging and romancing my wife at the same time."

She moved to wipe some lipstick off of his mouth. Whatever this shade of pink was called it was certainly not his colour. "Don't worry, we have plenty of time to practice."


	99. Questions and Answers

**AN: Almost there…I should be doing my AP homework…I hated being sick…**

**Thank you so much, guys, for leaving those reviews. It's always fun writing super-fluffy romances when there are the angsty counterparts out there. Weddings are often nice to go to, and even more when your brother tried to catch the bouquet. **

**Are you ready for the last two?**

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked, I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JKR  
><strong>Title<strong>: Questions and Answers  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1K

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><p><em>"The marks humans leave are too often scars."<em>  
><strong>― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars<strong>

**(Please read this amazing book)**

* * *

><p>Halley sighed heavily and leaned against the kitchen counter. She tiredly watched Gabriel pursued through the cabinet, his voice matched her mood completely. "Hell, I am going to be bloody flashing back to those…Red or white, dear?" He retrieved two bottles of unopened wine. "The white's from Luce's time in Vienna, and the red is from Rory and Hector when we moved here."<p>

"Red," Halley answered. She jerkily slashed her wand and two glasses simultaneously appeared next to her. Gabriel put the white wine back and poured themselves a generous amount. They clinked their glasses and cheered to telling their children the truth. "Remind me," she said. "Why didn't we told them about this sooner?"

"Because we were barmy enough to think that they could have a normal childhood." Gabriel tipped a heavy swallow into his mouth. Surprised at the flavour, he looked inside his glass. "Not bad. I'll have to let those two pick out the next bottle."

"Cheers," said Halley. She smiled thinly at what transpired in their home. After her, Rory, and Hector were being bombarded with letters asking about what happened to them at Hogwarts it was later decided to tell all of their children the truth during their winter holiday. After everything she felt more than exhausted, but every time she closed her eyes she saw her kids' faces when they looked at her. "Am I still Mum to them?"

Gabriel ringed the glass with his finger, watching her languidly. "I…I bet they still do. You're still the women who changed their nappies and being Mum-ish."

"Mum-ish?"

"It's a word now," he enforced. His face grew a little pink. "Even after seeing Mum best Bellatrix I still saw her as my mum. Though then I knew how she gained all of those trophies in the Duelling Club."

Halley made a face as she examined the contents of her red wine. "Still felt like I was taking away a part of their childhood."

"Look on the bright side, you're now their mum who not only kicks arse, but saved the world a few times."

"I can threaten Lily's boyfriend with that."

"Correct, Lily's boy—" His face fell. Pure terror starkly made out his gaping mouth and wide eyes. "No! Not over my—she's too young! No! No boyfriend until she is an old maid."

Halley calmly took another sip. She enjoyed seeing him twitch under the idea of their very young daughter being caught in the snares of love. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"He could be like me!" Gabriel threw a hand up in the air and took a drink from his glass in the other. "Some git is going to be charmed by her and will spend the next few years of his school life being a wide-eyed, gaping fool…" He shook his head. "Let's change the topic, shall we? This is going to give me an aneurysm."

She carefully hid her smile and the tiring dread came back. She set her wine down on the counter, and massaged her temples to stop the impending headache. Suddenly Halley felt ages older. "Has it really been that long ago?" Her voice grew softer and more far away. "Felt like only yesterday when it all ended." Her mind went back to the slow healing and swinging hammocks and fading nightmares. "How messed up was I?"

"Not that…Well…" Gabriel poured himself another glass and looked at her in the eye. "You had your moments. We all did, to be honest. How we all ended up like we all are now is a complete mystery to me."

"Scars heal, so why not us, too?" Halley pointed out. She absentmindedly looked at the words on her hand. Nineteen years later and most of them were faded by now. "Cursed or not. Do yours still hurt?"

"The ones on my back? Sure." He shrugged. "Occasionally. They twitch every now and then before a bad storm. You?"

"Depends on which ones," she smiled wryly. She then looked down at her house, curious. Halley pushed her glasses up and undid the first few buttons, revealing her second lightening bolt scar. She never paid much attention to that scar anymore. Only when the need for a bathing costume was when she paid any attention to it. The bloody scar tissue was visible and drew too much attention for her sake. "Can you see it?"

Gabriel's eyes glanced below her neck. During their earlier years he would have blushed heavily, now he only admired the view with a slight smile. Tilting his head, he made a vague gesture at her breastbone. "Not that noticeable anymore, love."

She raked a stiff hand through her hair. The blotchiness had long since faded and the only remainder was another lightening bolt from the Killing Curse. The one from the locket was a small oval and ached at the memory. Nagini's bite and the knife scar could easily be concealed through long sleeves. There were plenty more from school Quidditch practices and being an Auror. Merlin, she even forgot where some of them came from. With all of those she felt exposed during the warmer weather. "Sodding hate them."

"It makes you interesting," Gabriel remarked.

"I wouldn't mind being boring for once," Halley quipped. She thought about it for a moment. "That would be dreadful in ways."

"I doubt that normal blokes would leave their blouses open like that." He gazed at her from across the counter. Sighing, he mimicked the a posture from his teenage years. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Halley buttoned it up quickly, fighting to keep a laugh from leaving her mouth. "The heroine of the Wizarding World undresses herself to complain about old war scars."

"I'm sure that can be modified into a snappier title."

"Don't try," she advised when she saw a familiar mischievous spark. "Not a single word. Not even about the nonexistent dragon tattoo."

"It doesn't exist?" Gabriel feigned a sense of shock. He placed a hand over his forehead, and dramatically tipped backwards as he spoke louder. "Oh! The pain of knowing a lie! How can I live with myself?"

Halley let out a laugh.

"Dad? Mum?" Both of them stopped their actions and turned to see Al standing by the door. He rubbed his eyes and scowled at them. "What are you two laughing about?"

"Nothing," Halley smoothed said over Gabriel's half-laugh. She briefly looked down to see if she buttoned her blouse correctly. It wouldn't do right to scare her son like that. "We're just talking about the conversation that we gave you lot."

"Oh." Al shuffled his feet and ran a hand through his hair. Halley marvelled at how his actions were so similar to hers. He was fascinated with his bare feet as he looked down. "Mum, how d'you do it?"

The amusement sobered and Gabriel moved to stand closer to her. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Pure luck? Well-timed skills?" Halley guessed simply. "McGonagall liked to say that anything adventurous that happened was thanks to me, your aunt Rory, and your uncle Hector. We survived somehow in the end. How we got our work done was a completely different thing."

"But—"

"Al, I think it's time for all of us to go to bed," Gabriel said. "We'll tell you more in the morning."

Al threw his hands up in the air (much like his father, in that manner) and pivoted on the spot. "Good, because Rosie made a bloody list of questions for you all. Have fun answering them!"


	100. Nine and Three-Quarters

**AN: This isn't the end! One more chapter left! A part of this chapter was inspired by my fic All Was Well, some taken directly from the epilogue. and the last chapter in A Different Way of Life by WillowBlueJay.**

**More wonderful thanks for the reviews, and expect the last one to be coming whenever in the next two to three weeks. Midterms/finals are starting soon, and I would like to survive. The Hogwarts fic will/may be up by February or March.**

**Disclaimer:** Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling  
><strong>Title<strong>: Platform Nine and Three-Quarters  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 2K

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><p><em>"Our lives can change so fast that the change outpaces our minds and hearts. It's those times, I think, when our lives have altered but we still long for the time before everything was altered- that is when we feel the greatest pain. I can tell you, though, from experience, you grow accustomed to it. You learn to live your new life, and you can't imagine, or even really remember, how things were before."<em>  
><strong>—Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare<strong>

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><p>The sound of a bowl breaking was what woke Halley up. The sharp echo bounced up to their room and was immediately followed by dismayed cries. Oh, Merlin, what where they doing up? She winced when she then heard Al spilling a carton of milk. This was not going to end well. Or without blood knowing how often Jimmy was goading him these days.<p>

"Wuzzoin?" Gabriel asked. He rolled over to face Halley, his bed hair looking more impressive than hers. He sluggishly looked up at her, mouth quirking in a frown.

Halley moved a hand to cover her yawning mouth. Why did it felt like she got little to no sleep? She shouldn't be doing that anymore, her body couldn't take it much these days. Maybe she should changed her shifts this week so that she wouldn't be staying late so much…"It's September."

A second later the realisation sunk in.

Halley Summoned a fresh pair of jeans and slipped them on. Gabriel jumped out of bed and hurriedly got his clothing on. The blue jumper that Molly made last Christmas threatened to rip as he accidentally put both arms through the same hole. He hopped uncertainly as he also tried to find some trousers to put on. It would have been an amusing sight if there wasn't a time limit set upon them. "What time is it?"

Halley put her glasses on and squinted at the clock. "We got two hours."

"Dammit!" Gabriel cursed dejectedly and collapsed on the bed. He was still trapped under his jumper, and his foot was through a leg hole. "Why are they even up? I thought they were hardwired to just sleep?"

"It's Hogwarts, though," Halley reminded him. That was reinforced by the sounds of Jimmy and Al arguing it out in the kitchen downstairs, and then Lily joined in the fray. The topic seemed to be about Jimmy being a twit, Al's future demise in Slytherin, and how Lily should leave them alone. "Two down and one to go," she sighed.

Gabriel's head poked through the opening of his jumper. Through some creative twisting he managed to get both arms through. "Cheers!" He yanked his trousers up and flopped his head to the bed. "Can we go back to sleep now?"

The arguing grew louder.

"No," Halley said with a slight shake of her head. "Not yet."

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><p>"It doesn't matter," Halley said to Gabriel, in the car. She looked in the mirror to see Al's worried expression. She had been told numerous times that what Al was feeling was normal. Still, Halley felt that there had to be someway to comfort her son. Between Jimmy teasing him and the fear of starting, Halley wished that there was a way to ease his nerves.<p>

The Slytherin's reputation was more mild these days, but it'll take even longer for those darker stains to go away. At least there was some small signs of their relationship with Gryffindor healing.

Gabriel patted her knee. "Since when did it ever?" He twisted his head to look at his sons arguing. "James Sirius Weasley! I told you to stop."

Jimmy froze in mid-sentence. Halley carefully hid her smile. "So, who is looking forward to starting this year?" There was more silence. She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, watching out of the corner of her eye, how her children squirmed. A lone owl hooted from Lily's lap. "Just to make things clear, if any of you start arguing in the car then we will be turning around, and your father and I will be escorting you to the castle during the Opening Feast. Do you understand me?"

The three of them nodded.

Gabriel muffled a laugh and went to turn some music on.

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><p>Perhaps the most distraught during that day was Lily. Now stuck at a moment in life that would leave her as an only child for the next two school years, she was doing everything in her power to attempt to come along. There was an impressive display of magic, hiding in Jimmy's trunk, and taking Teddy's wand. In the end, she, too, realised that she had to wait, but she wasn't going to enjoy it.<p>

"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Halley told her.

"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"

The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Al's voice drifted back to Halley over the surrounding clamour; her sons had resumed the argument they had started in the car. Technically she said no arguing in the car, there was nothing about being at the station.

"I won't! I won't be a Slytherin!"

"Jimmy, give it a rest!" said Gabriel.

"I only said he might be," said Jimmy, grinning at his younger brother. There was something about that look that reminded his parents eerily of Georgia and Felicity. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth -"

But Jimmy caught his father's eye and fell silent. It was the third time since that morning that look worked. If it happened again then it would be a new record.

The five Weasleys approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, Jimmy took the trolley from his father and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Al asked his parents immediately, capitalising on the momentary absence of his brother.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Gabriel soothingly.

"Not every day," said Al quickly. His eyes widened quickly at what he said and he tried to remedied that. "Jimmy says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to Jimmy three times a week last year," said Gabriel. He paused and thought about it. "And it wouldn't kill him to write more."

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Halley put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Al winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which Jimmy had already disappeared.

"Where are they?" asked Al anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.

"We'll find them," said Gabriel reassuringly. He also looked around, anxious to find the others.

But the vapour was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud, Halley thought she head Penny discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello… Her In-Law was trying to find time with Gabriel to talk about that, and the excuses that he was coming up with could only last so long.

"I think that's them, Al," said Gabriel suddenly.

A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Halley, Gabriel, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up to them.

"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.

Rose, who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him. Halley was suddenly propelled some twenty-so years back. _I feel old,_ she thought.

"Parked all right, then?" Rory asked Halley. "I did. Hector didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? He thought I'd have to Confund the examiner, but I passed nevertheless."

"No, I didn't," said Hector. He gave a slight roll of his eyes. "I had complete faith in you."

"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him," Rory whispered to Halley, as together they lifted Al's trunk and owl onto the train. She checked over her shoulder to see if Hector was listening. "I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."

Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother, having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts. Lily was convinced that she would join the line of Gryffindor, and Hugo was frightened at the idea of whatever the sorting could be.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Rory, "but no pressure."

"Rory!"

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Al and Rose looked solemn.

"She doesn't mean it," said Hector and Gabriel, but Rory was no longer paying attention.

Catching Halley's eye, she nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.

"Look who it is."

Daria Greengrass was standing there with her husband and son, a dark coat buttoned up to her throat. Her blonde hair had faded somewhat, which emphasised the pointed chin and angular cheekbones. The new boy resembled Daria as much as Al resembled Halley. Daria caught sight of Halley, Rory, Hector, and Gabriel staring at her, nodded curtly, and turned away again.

Halley raised an eyebrow at that exchange and wisely decided not to pursue it.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Rory under her breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your father's brains."

"Rory, for heaven's sake," said Hector, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry," said Rory, but unable to help herself, she added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

"Oh, Rory," he murmured, shaking his head. He covered his face with his hand, groaning.

"Hey!" Jimmy had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news. "Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!" He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction. "Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing —"

"You interrupted them?" said Gabriel. He palm landed on his forehead with a reassuring smack. "You are so like Rory—"

"—and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" Jimmy added as though worried he had not made himself clear.

"Ah, anyone told Beatrice?" Rory whispered under her breath. "Love to see that." Hector elbowed her and told her that ruining Teddy's life expectancy wasn't available for today.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Halley "Why don't we just invite him to live with is and have done with it?" That was an old joke between them, and with her godson being of age and living in his own flat it seemed very much unlikely.

"Yeah!" said Jimmy enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al—Teddy could have my room!"

"No," said Halley firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished." They learned that lesson the previous Christmas. She shuddered at the memory. Realising how late things were getting, Halley checked the battered old watch that was on Gabriel's wrist, and clicked her tongue. "It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

"Don't forget to give Nellie our love!" Gabriel told Jimmy as he hugged his son.

"Dad! I can't give a professor love!"

"But you know Nellie-"

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Outside, yeah, but at school she's Professor Abbott, isn't she? I can't walk into Herbology and give her love …" Shaking his head at his father's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Al. "See you later, Al. Watch out for the Thestrals."

"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"

But Jimmy merely laughed, permitted his father to kiss him, gave his mother a fleeting hug, then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends. Halley felt slightly cheated, but knew it given time that she'll give him an embarrassing send off during the holidays.

"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Halley told Al. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."

Gabriel kissed Albus goodbye. "See you at Christmas, dear. Please write more than your brother."

"Bye, Al," said Halley as her son hugged her. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you're learned how. And don't let Jimmy wind you up." Looking around, she lowered her voice to speak in his ear. "And if anyone gives you trouble then let him do what he does best. He may be a pain, but he's got your back."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?"

The whisper was for his mother alone, and Halley knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Al to reveal how great and sincere that fear was. She crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above her own. Alone of Halley's three children, Al had inherited Lily's eyes.

"Albus Severus," Halley said quietly, so that nobody but Gabriel could hear, and he was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But just say—"

"—then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?"

"It did for me," said Halley.

She had never told any of her children that before, and she saw the wonder in Al's face when she said it. But now the door were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders, Al jumped into the carriage and Gabriel closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned toward Halley.

"Why are they all staring?" demanded Al as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students. Rose was tactile enough to make a face at them.

"Don't let it worry you," said Rory. She dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave the staring children a wave. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."

Al, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed.

The train began to more, and Halley walked alongside it, watching her son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Lily and Hugo were already running ahead, laughing and shouting at them to slow down. Halley kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching her son glide away from her. The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Halley's hand was still raised in farewell.

"He'll be alright," murmured Gabriel.

As Halley looked at him, she lowered her hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on her forehead. "I know he will."

The scar had not pained Halley for nineteen years.

All was well.

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><p><strong><em>Just one more le-e-e-eft…<em>**


	101. Full Circle

**AN: Surpirse! Thought I should finish this before midterms/finals start. **

**So it's been almost a year since this has been posted. I've originally decided to wait and let everyone squirm as I post this on the anniversary…**

**Now for the thanks:**

**WillowBlueJay, Legionary Prime, Merdarkandtwisty, RandomFandom, PsychoBrunette, Bri P, SnowAngel, Evangeline the Gothic Angel, cc4s, JasonSonOfAthena, those that reviewed from the Review Tag, EM, hogwartswillwelcomemehomexox o, PennyLane074, the Ship of Fools, lacie-chan dattebayo, Barbara J, and to everyone who added this to their alerts and favs. **

**Thank you all so much for helping me though this and always being such great sources of inspiration. I have no idea where this would be without all of you. This chapter is a sneak-peak of sorts for the next big fic. A set date hasn't been made, but it will be up in a few months. **

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked I am an American brunette. Nice try, but I know that I'm not JK Rowling

**Title**: Full Circle.

**Word Count**: 4K

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><p><em>As we grow older together, as we continue to change with age, There is one thing that will never change. . . I will always keep falling in love with you<em>

—**Karen Clodfelder**

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><p>Once upon a time, a little boy was travelling with his family to King's Cross. He was a little taller than most boys his age, with bright brown eyes, and red hair that fell in front of his eyes. His many sisters held similar features: the freckles, red hair, and the look that they'll never stop growing taller.<p>

He opened his mouth to ask his sisters another question about school, but his mother hushed him. "Wait until we get there, now we're packed with Muggles, of course." Penny's owl, Hermes, hooted in agreement.

"But, Mu—_um."_

"Now, what's the platform number?" He knew the game too well. It was how Mum would ask questions that he knew the answer to just to change the topic, or to see if he was paying attention.

"Nine and three-quarters! Mum, can't I go…"

"You're not old enough, Gabriel, now be quiet. All right, Penny, you go first."

Penny walked back a few steps, and then somehow even managed to walk primly through the platform.

"Felicity, you're next," Mum said. The twins gave each other wide grins that reached their ears.

"I'm not Felicity, I'm Georgia," Felicity joked. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm Georgia?"

"Sorry, Georgia, dear."

"Only joking, I am Felicity," she said with a cheeky grin, and off she went. Georgia called after her to hurry up, and then she also vanished from sight.

"Excuse me," a girl said. Her old-fashioned clothes weren't out of place with most wizards. Her dark hair fell to her shoulders in messy tangles. She looked at them with her big, green eyes behind her glasses. She looked so small next to her large trunk and snowy owl.

Gabriel never knew that someone's eyes could be so green. Any words of encouragement that he wanted to say to her died on his lips. For once he had no idea what to say, and his usual chatty self went very quiet.

"Hello, dear," Mum said. He could just see his mum's heart softening into pudding. "First time at Hogwarts? Rory's new, too." She pointed to Rory who was self-consciously rubbing at a spot of dirt on her nose.

"Yes," said the girl quietly. "The thing is — the thing is, I don't know how to —"

"How to get onto the platform?" Mum said kindly, and the girl nodded. "Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Rory."

"Er — okay." Her green eyes looked fearfully at the space between the platforms, and her face was going pale.

Good luck, Gabriel wanted to say, but the words were stuck in his throat. He gave her a sheepish smile and watched her and his sister run between the platforms. Dumbstruck, he stared at the empty space, wishing painfully that he could talk to her.

Mum looked down at his face, "Are you well, dear? You look flushed."

* * *

><p>Their feet fell to the wet floor of the girl's bathroom. Halley spread her arms out to steady her fall and hissed in pain as her hands collided with hard stone. Gasping, the girl looked up to see the three others in a similar state: Rory was holding onto her brother for dear life, Gabriel looked as though his older sister was squeezing the life out of his arm, and Lockhart was staring blankly at his reflection in the water.<p>

"Who is that gorgeous man?" he asked, tilting his head to inspect. "Look at that gleaming teeth!"

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said bluntly to Halley. Halley and her friends shakily stood back up to their feet and checked themselves over for any more injuries.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," she said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off her glasses. She held them away and winced at seeing the small cracks that would be obscuring more of her vision.

"Oh, well . . . I'd just been thinking . . . if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, smiling too happy at the words. "We can be stall-mates!"

"Urgh!" said Rory as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside.

"Halley, I don't want to compete with Myrtle as your best mate!"

"Don't worry," Halley remarked. She held the sword tightly in one hand, afraid that any more monsters may show up. The images of the basilisk and Tom Riddle kept appearing behind her eyelids. Frightening as they were, she had a feeling that they'll be appearing in her nightmares now.

"Where now?" said Rory, with an anxious look at Gabriel. He held his arms stiffly at his sides and didn't meet their eyes. Halley pointed. Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor.

They followed the phoenix, cold, afraid, and with an amnesiac professor who wouldn't stop being amazed by his reflection. Rory accidentally let him get his head knocked by a few torches.

Halley noticed Gabriel's look of pure terror. Though some of his colour had return, his freckles still stood out too sharply. She gestured with her free hand and he silently held onto her hand. His grip was warm, and she could feel him shaking. "You'll be all right," Halley told him in a whisper. "It wasn't your fault."

Gabriel's brown eyes were very large and shiny. He wiped his nose with his other torn and bloodied sleeve, hiccuping. "I-I know. T-thanks for saving m-m-me."

Halley had a feeling that this was going to be a yearly event.

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><p>The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and he were plunged into total darkness. Gabriel jumped and almost let out a small scream. He felt the taste of old knuts in his mouth, the coppery tang made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. "What's happening? Anyone?"<p>

Could this be any worst for him? He blindly groped around to find himself somewhere safe. A terrible cold feeling seemed to be following him, making the panic grow. Suddenly, a compartment door opened under his hands and something moved past him. It touched his arm and he let out a small scream.

"Who's that?" a familiar voice shook.

"Who's that?" he asked back.

"Gabriel?"

"Hector?" Relief washed over Gabriel.

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Rory —"

"Come in and sit down —" Hector helped him inside and Gabriel stumbled into a seat. He jumped as he felt that he was sitting in something warm and fleshy.

"Not here!" said Halley hurriedly. She jabbed a finger in his back. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" said Nellie as Gabriel gridded over her foot.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly. Someone else was in the compartment and everyone went silent. There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. An exhausted man appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his worn, colourless face, but his eyes looked alert and wary. "Stay where you are," he said in the same hoarse voice. He then got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before the man could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in his hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. More screams of terror froze inside Gabriel's throat as a scabbed and eerily thin hand rose. Whatever was beneath the hood drew a long; slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings. He had a vague idea of what the creature was, but terror made him forget.

An intense cold swept over them all. Gabriel felt large breaths being caught, and a terrifying cold seeped into him. There was almost a faint rushing in his ears, and something else could be heard underneath it all. He could almost feel cold stone under his hands, a dark laugh…

The sound of someone collapsing broke him temporarily out of it. His eyes swerved and he saw Halley lying limply on the floor. She twitched as the monster moved closer and closer… The man stopped over her and raised his wand. "None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks," he said. "Go." Then there was a shout and something silver made the creature go back and glided out of the compartment. The cold followed it, leaving a hollow sensation under Gabriel's breastbone. The lights inside went back on and did nothing to quench the fear.

Rory was the first one to act and went to Halley's side. She lightly slapped Halley's still and pale face. "Halley! Halley! Are you all right?" The pale girl was roused, face even paler. She looked at them all, confused when she was pushed back into her seat.

"Yeah," said Halley, looking quickly toward the door. "What happened? Where's that — that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Rory, more nervously still.

Halley's lips made a small circle and she surveyed everyone to see if anyone was lying. Her eyes briefly met Gabriel's and she looked away.

The nice man gave them all chocolate and went to the conductor as Rory recounted the events to Halley. Gabriel watched them all do this as he was huddled in the corner, still shivering. He thought that he had heard…But that wasn't possible…Halley defeated him, she showed him the destroyed diary…

"But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?" said Halley awkwardly.

"No," said Rory, looking anxiously at her friend again. "Gabriel was shaking like mad, though…"

Halley broke off a large piece of her chocolate and handed it to him. Her smile was tired and thin, but her hand felt warm and real. Gabriel mutely nodded and nibbled on the corner. The sweet spread a nice warmth through him and he started to feel a little bit better.

* * *

><p>Halley's bad mood followed her as she stepped inside the Gryffindor Common Room. Rory had left the ball after the argument and was most likely spewing in a shower. After what her best friend went through with Hector, Halley wasn't sure what to expect next. The only thing that lifted her mood was the jokes that Felicity and Georgia kept making about the pains of young love. It did a good job of distracting her that Christopher Chang was having a lovely time with Cassidy Diggory. That happiness fell when Halley still had a vague idea what to do with the egg, that her best friends were no longer speaking to each other, and the lack of word from Sirius was not helping anything.<p>

She was more than glad to call this the worst night ever. And to top it all off the egg now involved a bath. Maybe the second task involved something hygienic? Halley couldn't even figure that out and what it had to do with the horrible screeching noises.

Halley sulked near the staircase that lead to the girl's Fourth Year dormitories. She wasn't sure if she should go up and face the inevitably awkward scene of Rory sobbing her heart out; or stay down here and face the stares and whispers of her housemates. She also wasn't so keen on facing Parvash Patil and his gloating of snagging a date with a Beatbuxon's witch.

"Halley?"

She turned to see Gabriel stepping throughout he portal. Nellie was standing next to him, her face a bright pink. Of course even Nellie Longbottom would have a better night. They walked to her, both looking concerned. "Halley?" Nellie asked. "Are you—"

"Fine." The word came out sharper than Halley intended. She winced. "Sorry, uh, this wasn't a good night for me."

Her roommate nodded. "Er, sorry?" She looked to Gabriel who had backed a few paces away from then. "Thanks for helping me out."

"I told you that he'll say yes," he said with a slight grin. He waved goodnight to Nellie as she floated up the stairs. "H-had a g-g-good time?" He turned to ask her. The brief show of confidence vanished and he was back to the boy that Halley knew. It was strange seeing how it changed him. Just a second ago the youngest Weasley stood to his full height, laughing and smiling with ease. Now he had his shoulders slightly hunched, and a nervous smile flickering over his face. For a moment, Halley thought his previous display was…cute. A part of her was disappointed to see him revert like that.

Halley made a face. "It wasn't the best night."

"Y-y-eah, I-I-I-" He stopped and steadied himself, trying to find a rhythm by picking at his frilly sleeve. Gabriel had the misfortune of wearing aged dress robes that were edged with a ridiculous amount of lace. He must had asked for them at the last minute. Rory had said that she was glad that she didn't had to wear them. "I thought I-I saw you and R-Rory…"

"–having a miserable night," she supplied for him. She noted in disdain. "I think it could be worst. How was it for you?"

He paused for a few seconds before trying to speak again. "I, uh, N-Nellie wanted Hans to ask her, but—you know? She wanted me help and I—well, pushed her to him at the dance."

"Can you do that to Rory and Hector?" Gabriel laughed and Halley smiled, but hearing him was contagious and she let out a small giggle. "Did you dance much?"

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his face a tad more red. "I…I don't dance well. But the only way to get closer to Hans was to dance our way through the room." He tapped his foot. "I think we injured each other enough." Seeming desperate to change the topic, he raised his head to look at her. "You?"

"Once," and Halley shuddered. "I cannot dance to save my life. I think that's what scared everyone off."

"I wouldn't mind dancing with you," Gabriel said suddenly.

Halley opened her mouth to speak, but she found herself pulling him instead. A spring of mistletoe darted around the room and was making its way towards them. With a force that surprised him, Halley yanked him closer to her, just missing the evil and magical plant. Gabriel's mouth gaped as he clumsily held onto her shoulders. Halley was transfixed at how close his freckled face was to hers. Even with her glasses sitting low on her nose she could make out the small details.

"Mistletoe," she muttered. She looked over his shoulder to make sure if it was still there. "You're safe now."

* * *

><p>"Halley?" Gabriel was walking down the corridor and saw her huddled into a crouch. She had her face buried in her hands, her shoulders quivering. He stopped walking and pivoted to her. He hesitantly raised a hand over her shoulder, nature of what to do. "Hey, Halley?"<p>

She raised her head. Her glasses were almost falling off, and her eyes were bright and shiny with unshed tears. "Just leave. Go!"

Gabriel sat down next to her. "I'm not going to leave you."

"I don't care," she said darkly. "He's dead and I don't want to talk." The last part visibly pained her, and she ducked her head into her arms again. "He's dead. It's my fault."

"It was never your fault," he said evenly. He flexed his ankle out and saw the web of scars that covered the area. The curse that was aimed at him literally broke every bone and the pain was excruciating. The last thing he remembered was seeing Halley in a screaming rage as she ran past him. Then the pain became too much and he passed out.

"It was my call," she argued, retreating from her arms. "I brought you all there—"

"We all would come with you no matter what," Gabriel corrected. "We knew the risks. Same for Sirius." The words felt like a low blow to him, too. Sirius was also his friend and helped him our during their stay at Grimauld's Place. Even though some of his advice would never be used… He reached for Halley's hand, gently squeezing it. "We're all here for you."

She turned her head into his shoulder and began to cry. Great, heaving sobs shook her frame. Halley was pouring her heart out and he had no idea what to do. So Gabriel carefully wrapped an arm around her in a loose hug. "It's going to be all right," he croaked. Tear began to burn in the back of his eyes. "It's going to be all right."

* * *

><p>Halley laughed as her feet skidded under the stone pathway. The arching bridge, giving her a moment to dry off, blocked the rain above. She rested against the damp wall, her breath coming out in gasps as the adrenaline refused to be hushed. No sooner when she looked up she saw a flash of red and Gabriel's own laughter. Much like her, his wet and muddy Quidditch robes were swallowing him up as they stuck to him like a second skin. His ruddy face was alight and Halley found that she was having a hard time looking away.<p>

"N-no f-f-fair," he panted, doubling over to catch his breath.

Halley collapsed to the floor and brushed her hair back. The rain made it stubbornly plastered to her face, and it smudged her vision for her glasses. "I'm a faster runner than you, Weasley. Now you owe me a big box of Honeydukes' finest." She took her glasses off and dried them off with a tap of her wand. Putting them back on, she looked over herself and tried to remember the spell that was used for drying clothes and people.

Gabriel sat down next to her and pulled out his own wand. "You would use chocolate like that, Potter. What are you going to do with all of it?"

"Eat it," Halley said simply. Her mouth started to water at the visual of that surgery goodness. With Christmas and snowy evenings coming up soon, Honeydukes always made their best batch around that time. Like the type that could warm you up in seconds…or the ones with heated honey and cream on the inside…This was going to be a good holiday break. No OWL's to worry about, no sadistic teachers besides Snape, and everything seemed to be under a normal illusion as of late.

Gabriel shifted his weight so that he was leaning closer to her. He raised his wand and muttered something over her. Halley felt a curious sensation, as if someone was drying her off with a large hair-dryer. Seconds later her robes regained their lighter colour and her hair was even more of a mess. He then did the same for himself and Halley had to grin as several cowlicks began to stand up on top of his head. He tried to flatten them with one hand and glared as she began laughing again. "Have you seen your reflection in the mirror?"

"My hair is always like this. You should know me better by now." Halley playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

Gabriel raised his head, frowning at what she said. "Maybe I should…" The look vanished and he appeared to be his usual self—filled with clarity and a quick smile. "Does this mean that the chocolate counts as your Christmas gift?"

"Sure, but you're going to have to surprise me somehow with it."

"Worth it," Gabriel smiled.

He then tried again to flatten his hair, and Halley decided to take pity. "Here," she said. She kneeled in front of him and placed a hand on his head to steady herself (it was strange being the one to look over him instead of usually looking up). She waved her wand with her other hand over his head and focused intently on the charm. The cowlicks shivered and limply fell. Halley was proud at her attempt of non-verbal magic working positively.

"Uh, Halley?" Gabriel's voice came out low and deep. He raised his head and she could see that his face was a bright shade of pink. That was when she realised how close they actually were. She could easily smell his familiar woodsy shampoo and see the small group of freckles near his lower lip. They parted slightly and his dark eyes looked at her timorously through thick, coppery lashes. "Hi…" She lowered her hand to cup his face, feeling the warm skin and soft fuzz of a beginning growth of facial hair. Halley was transfixed, feeling his hands curled at her elbows, their series of slow contacts were making her feel excited and at the same time anxious.

It wouldn't take much now—they both knew that. Not much longer and Halley would be reliving a recurring dream. She wondered what it would feel like? Hopefully not wet and tepid like her first one. Instead all she felt was warmth as her head descended lower, their eyes never breaking contact—

"Wait." Gabriel tore his eyes way, his voice breaking whatever spell. His words rose from the whisper. "I…Sorry. I just ended things with Deandra and it's too soon…" His hands retreaded and shoulders hunched to act as a protective barrier. "Halley, I'm…"

Halley's stomach twisted unpleasantly. She backed away and slowly stood up, feeling rather foolish and embarrassed at what almost happened to them. She tried to hide this as she covered her face with her hands. "Yeah, I get it."

* * *

><p>Everything was quiet after the Death Eaters left.<p>

Most of the guests had already left to be safe in their own homes. Beatrice and Fabris were with the Order and having an emergency meeting somewhere off inside the Burrow. Gabriel tried to employ some of the WWW merchandise he had to spy on them, but someone was smart enough to set up charms to prevent that. That only added more to his pain because now his friends and the girl (that he was possibly falling in love with) were gone. He home was attacked. And he was more-or-less left in the dark about everything.

He knew that Halley, Rory, and Hector were off doing something dangerous to defeat You-Know-Who. But how? Gabriel ran several scenarios in his mind as he paced the length of his room. He tried to think solely on how Halley and the others could defeat _him_, but his mind kept going to Halley. The embrace that they shared on her birthday was burned into his mind. The moment that they shared at the wedding was burned even deeper. They both needed to get away from the crowds of people and ended up sharing some cake in the kitchen.

One slip-up later and he was pined to the counter and snogging. He could still almost feel her hands tracing over his chest, her mouth repeating his name in a ghostly murmur. It was the most intimate moment that had ever shared and it couldn't last. Gabriel had a feeling if the Death Eaters never came then… But now she was doing what she did best—saving the world.

He collapsed onto his bed, trying not to scream. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing. He had to help somehow. He needed to do something to help. He raised his head from his pillow and saw something tucked into the frame of his bed. Curious, he plucked it free and saw that it was a folded piece of parchment. When he opened it, Gabriel felt his breath caught in his throat.

_I'm sorry_, it read. _Gabriel, I'm sorry_.

* * *

><p>The forest faded around Halley as everything melted into a different scene. She blinked and was suddenly at King's Cross. Displaced and confused, she turned to her equally deceased husband for an answer. "Do you also see this as a train station?"<p>

Gabriel looked around and rubbed the back of his neck. "It looks cleaner than one…"

Halley shook her head, and was surprised at seeing her dark hair falling over her eyes. Her hair turned white and grey at an early age, and seeing it so thick and dark again was a slight shock. Then again, seeing anything perfectly without her glasses could make her feel shocked, as well. She looked down as was glad to see that she was wearing her old favourite clothing. Her blue jeans and Gryffindor Quidditch jersey seemed new on her young body.

"At least I'm wearing clothes this time," she said.

Gabriel turned to her, both eyebrows raised to his hairline. He was also dressed similarly to her, but favoured the jersey that Puddlemere gave him instead. It was a strange sight to see him looking so young. Instead of the old wizard with a tuff of white hair, he was now in the prime of his youth. "Should I ask?"

"In another time." He reached for her hand and ran his thumb over the back. Halley felt her wedding and engagement ring appear and relaxed under their weight. "Thanks."

"Till death," Gabriel said. He raised her hand to kiss it. "And also beyond. Ready, Halley?"

Then they boarded the train.


End file.
